pies. Traitors 
and Conspirators 
of the Late Ci vi 



^-\ 






BV GENERAL LA FAYETTE C BAKER 
ORGANIZER AND FIRST CHIEF OF THE 
SECRET SERVICE OF THE UNITED 
STATES, ILLUSTRATED. 







/o^'^C ^ 



JOHN E. POTTER & COMPANY, 
Philadelphia. MDCCCIXIV. 






Copyright, 1S94, 

BY 

JOHX E. I'UTTKR & Co. 






DeOIOT^TlON 

TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLL 

To the People of thiis Great Natioriv 

And more especially 

TO THE BRAVE BOYS IN BLUE fiND THEIR HEROIC LEADERS, 

Who so Gallantly and Vaiorously bore om Country 

1 lironsb ttae Peeftilentaal Ordeal of Secess2on a.irt tl2« 
Great Civil "ViTar, 

And who lifted the dark pall of Slavery from our Nadoaal 
Escutcheon, restoring, with new lustre, 

ft BRiCHTNESS THM CAN NEVER AGAIN BE SHADOWED, 

This Volume of True and Stirring Narrative is 

Kamestly, Affectionately and Patriotically Dedicated by thair 
Humble and Devoted Servant, 

IvA FAYETTE) C, BAKER. 
Late Chsef of the National Secret Service Bureau. 



PREFACE. 



In giving to the public this volume, it has been the 
design to present the operations of the Bureau of the Nation- 
al Detective Police during the war, so far as it is proper to 
make them known to the people. It is not a book of roman- 
tic adventures, but a narrative of facts in the secret history 
of the conflict, and mainly an exposure of the manifold and 
gigantic frauds and crimes of both the openly disloyal and 
the professed friends of the Republic. Many reports are 
introduced, some of which are lengthy, and portions of them 
are dry, because they are the official records of the work 
done, and the verification of the statements made, and the 
highest vindication of the character and importance of the 
secret service. Passages occur in them, the propriety of 
which many readers may question, but their omission would 
have weakened the strength of the reports, and softened 
down the enormity of the offenses charged upon certain 
individuals. The whole volume might have been made up 
of chapters very similar to those of the first hundred paget 
or more, but we preferred to sacrifice the peculiar interest, 
to some extent, of a merely sensational work — sketches of 
exciting scenes and hair-breadth escapes — for the greater 
object of an authentic official record of the vast amount of 
indJFpensable service rendered to the Government, during 
nearly four years of bloody strife, with the months of trl*] 



PRSFACS. 



and agitation which foUowed The plan of the book waL, 
therefore, chosen by the responsible head of the bureau, 
while the introductory chapters were written by another, 
Whose editoral aid was secured in the general preparation 
of the annals for the press. No desire or effort has been 
fherished to wantonly expose or wound in feeling any 
man, and therefore initials, for the most part, alon'e ap^ 
pear ; but a faithfnl history of transactions under the 
authority delegated to the Bureau, wiU unavoidably 
reach the sensibilities of persons of distinction, no lesa 
than those in humble life. 

The volume of war records, the most of which have 
never before met the public eye, is offered to the people 
as a part of the veritable history of the most extraordi- 
nary and perilous times tlie Republic has known, or k 
likely to pass tlirough a^ain 



CONTENTS. 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 

OKNERAL BAKKR LSD THB BUREAU 07 SECRET SEBVlCl. 

rh* Ancestry and Birth-place of Goueral Baker— Hli Early Llf*— Realdenc* IB 
California— U a Member of th« Vigilance Committee— Retuma to New 
York In 1881— VlalU Washington— Interview with General Scott— Eoten 
the Serrrt Berries— The Great Facts esUbllahed and lllastrated by ibrss 
Annala 1'' 

CHAPTER L 

ORIGIN OF THB BUREAU OP DETECTIVE SERVICE. 

The firat rlalt to Washington— Interview with General Hiram Walbrlrtge, and 
lion. W. D. Kelley— Introdnctlon lo General Wlnfleld Scott— Relurn to 
New York — Appointed by General Scott to renew the Attempt to Tlilt Rleh- 
mond— The first Failure— Crossing the Lines— The Arrest — Examlnauoni 
—deal (• General Beauregard — On to Richmond ^^ 

CHAPTER IL 

RESIDENCE IN BTCHMOND. 

Bammoned to aa iBterrlew with Jeff. Darls — Sabseqnent ExamlnatloBS by him — 
Critical Emergencies— Mr. Brock — "Samuel Mnnson" — Confidence securtsd— 
Mr. "Mnnson " is appointed Confederate Agent — Original Letters fhim Davis, 
Toombs, and Walker — Starts for the North — Unpltsasant Delays— A Narrow 
Kaeap« — Reaches the Po'omac— DeceUes :he Dutch Fishermen and runs tht 
ftiM GaoBtkA safely ~ ^ 



Vy 



8 CONTENTS. 

cuaptp:r m. 

NORTHERN EXPERIENCES AS CONFEDERATE AGENT. 

'Hoapitalitiefl by the way — The Report to General Soott — Operations l« BaJti- 
more— The Janus-faced Unioniat — A rich DeTelopment in Philadelphia — Th« 
Arrests — A_musing Prison Scene 76 

cnAPTER rv. 

TREASON AND TRAITORS AT THE NORTH. 

°8altinBore^Tlie Detective Serrice and the Arrest of the Maryland Lepalatnre— 
The Refugee and the Spy — The Pursuit and the Capture— Traitors at Niagara 
Fall* — AoquaLilanoe with them — The Arrest — Ln Fort Lafayette 89 

CIIAI^TER V. 

A KNIGHT OF THE GOLDEN SQUARE. 

*? n. F., aUas Carlisle Murray, a Knight of the Golden Square — The Arrest — 
Release — Papers of F. examined — Secretary Seward's Order for a Second 
Arrest — On the Track — The Rural Retreat — Mr. Carlisle Murray a Reformer 
and LoTer — The Official Writ — The Astonished Landlord and Landlady — A 
Scene— Report 99 

CHAPTER VL 

DISLOTALTl AMONG THE POSTMASTERS. 

k Mystery — The Result of Cabinet Meetings in Washington known In Rich- 
mond — The Detectires learn the Reason — A Visit to Lower Maryland — 
Amusing Scenes — The Mysterious Box — The Reports — A Rebel Letter 1 08 

CHAPTER Vn. 

FRAin)&-DISLOYALTT IN MARYLAND. 

The Freighted Traveler — Treason and Frauds overlooked in the Rising Storm 
of Rebellion — The Bankers — The Pretty Smuggler— Reliable Chiaracter of 
the Detective Bureau — Disloyalty, and its Punishments in Lower Mary- 
land — The Friends of Hon. Montgomery Blair and the Quinine Traffio — 
"Chunook" Telegrams 118 

/ 



CONTENTS. 9 



CHAPTER VUL 

OlrnClAL 8ERVICE8 AND EMBARRASSMBTrrS — NEW ORDER OF 

THINGS. 

Tbe Bureau tranHferred to the War Department — Dr. R^ and the Perilous 
Adventure of which he waa the occasion — Report of the Case — Arreet of 
the lieadera of a great secret Southern Organisation — Docamentfl and 
Letten „.... 133 

CHArTER IX. 

THE BUREAU IN CANADA — IN THE ARiTY. 

rricks of False Correspondence — Mr. Deiisle and the "Secret Secession Le- 
gation" 148 

CHAPTER X. 

WEALTHY TRAITORS — FRUITLESS SCHEMES. 

John n. Waring— Ills Operations — An Efficient Tool— Walter Bowie— A 
Wild Carfer — Rebel Mail — Contrabands — Extracts from the Private 
Journals of Rfltel Spies 153 

CHAPTER XL 

SILVERY — ri^YINO REBEL GENERAL — FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. 

The Hostages — Mr. Ijncoln — Deceiving the Rebels — A succensful Game — Or- 
ganization of the First District Cavalry— Its Services ^^ ItT? 

CHAPTER XIL 

FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. 

Leaving Camp again—" Wilson's Raid "-Battles— The Escape of Kaut^— 
The Eiid of Regimental Service „ 19fl 

CHAPTER Xni. 

THE ANIMUS OF SECESSION. 

A. Disloyal Pastor and his Friends compelled to "do justly" — The "Peculiar 
Institution" Dies Hard- Man-Stealers Foiled in their Schemes of 
Bobbery ...»....,. 904 



10 CONTEXTS. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

ENGLIflH SYMPATHY WITH THE SOUTH — NEORO-HATE IN WASH- 
INGTON. 

A n English EmLwary of tlie Sooth — lie Deceiv^fi the Secretary of State — M7 
Aaiaaintance with Him — The Fruitless EflTort to Betraj Me — The Jour- 
ney to the Old Capitol Prison — Negro-hate in the National Capital 209 

CHAPTER XV. 

GIGANTIC VICES OF THE NATIONAL CAPITA I* 

Gambling and the Gamblers — Tlie Purpose to Break up the Dena Discouraged 
— The Midnight Raid — Re«ult« — Drinking and Liquor 8alo<^n8 — The De- 
scent oj>on them — Broken up — Licentiou8ne»« and its Patrons — The Raid 
on their haunu at Dead of Night— The Arrests 217 

CHAPTER XVI. 

A PERILOUS ADVENTURE. 

Pope's Defeat — Banks' Advance — The Importance of oommnnicating wit* 

him — The Successful Attempt — Rebel Pursuers — The Escai>e. 225 

CHAPTER XVII. 

SPECULATION AJfD FRAUD. 

Devices of Contractors — Detection of Forage Contractor — Appeal to the Pres- 
ident—Further Frauds a^ "Silent Partner" 2SS 

CHAPTER XVIIL 

A FEMALE ADVENTURER, 

Woman in the Rebellion — Iler Aid indinpensable in the worst as well as the 
best Causes — A Spicy Letter — Miss A. J. — Vidoc«|'s Experience 238 

CHAPTER XIX. 

THE BOUNTY JUMPERS. 

Fraudulent Practices of Bounty Brokers and Jumper* — Contrast between 
English and American Deserters — Plans to check Desertion, and bring 
Criminals to Justice 249 



CONTENTS. 11 

aiAFTER XX 

THE BOU^•TY JUMPERS AND BROKERS. 

QooUa filled irith F»Isi6ed Enliatraent-Papere — Arrest of Brokers — Anausinj 
and Exciting Scene — The Hutoken R.iid — Sl&nderrMiB Charges— Large 
Number of Arresta — Incarceration in Fort Lafajetle — Other Arre«t« — 
Tri*] before a Military CoinmiwBion SSt 

CHAPTER XXL 

BOUNTY JUMPINd rNCIDE>fT8. 

Personal Experience in Bountj Jumping — A Perfect Trump — DetectJTw En- 
ligted — Pa»8€8 ohlained for Bountj Jumpers — Arrext and Hurprif«e — Court 
Martial and Conviction 'iSi 

CHAPTER XXII. 

BOUNTY JUMPERS IN OliOAMZED BANI18. 

Oij*y-like Bounty Jumpers — Wholesale BountT Jumping carried on adroitly 
by a Clang of Operators — (3ppofition from a Canadian (Jang — Thiriy-iwo 
Thousand Dollarx in as many Dayn — Frauds in Drafting — An Olii Man 
put in as a Subrttitute — A Boy Dei-oyed — His Adventures — A Mother of 
Thirteen Cliildren — Unavailing ElTorts of a Mother in Hearch of her Idi- 
iotiq Son MS 

CHAPTER XXHL 

THE GREAT CONSPIRACY. 

AAOffiinations — Eglon, King of Moab — Ciesar, Emperor of Rome — Jame* T. 
of England — Marat, the French Revolutionary Lea<ler — Alexander of 
KusbIa — Abraham Uncoln, President of the United Sutea J7I 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

THE ASHA&SINS CAPTURED. 

P^zcitement around my Headquarters at Washington — The Chief Conspirator 
— A Graphic Narrative of his Arrest — His Burial — Deeire for Relics froia 
Mb Body — Hanging of the Conspirators „..„ _ ^. 2^ 



12 CX)NTENT8. 

CHAPTER XXV. 

THE DETECTIVE POLICE — AXD THE ARREST OF THE A5?fiA8fiIN8. 

Pernonal Relations to President Lincoln — Win Kindcewi and Confidence— Mj 
Order to Pan<iie the Connpiralona — Ke«iilt<j — Stateinenta of Bubordinalen 
andOthera !lft? 

aiAPTER XX\T. 
LETTERS ON THE ABSASSINATION. 

Jvx)b Thompflon — Volunteer Snggeationa respecting the Aiwaflsin'B Ridinj^^ 
Places hefore his Death, and the Disposal of hia Remainn afterward — 
Thx-atB of more Ajwassinationa — A Mvsterioos Letter — J. IL Suratt^ 871 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF WIRZ. 

My ConnecUon with the Impriflonment of W"n and Jeff Davis — Vigilano* 
in Guarding the Prisoner — Mrs. Win yisits her Husband — He deaireB a 
Call— The Laterriew— Attempted Suicide 894 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



GENERAL BAKER AND THE BUREAU OF SECRET SERVICR. 

The Ancestry and Birth-place of General Baker — His Early Life— Residence in Cafe 
fomia — Is a Member of the Vigilance Committee — Returns to New York ^ 
1861 — Visits Washington — Interview with General Scott — Enters the Secrel 
Seryico — The Great Facta esiablishod and illustrated by these Annals. 

Brigadier-General La Fayette C. Baker belongs to a family 
ot New England origin. In an early history of Vermont, entitled 
the " Green Mountain Boys," the name for two generations is con- 
spicuous among those of the heroic men of the French and Indian 
wars. About the year 1770, the military organization bearing that 
name was formed, to resist the arbitrary claims of the colonial gov 
ernment of New York over the settlers and soil of the "New Hamp- 
shire Grants." Ethan Allen, Seth Warner, and Remember Baker 
were acknowledged leaders of the heroic, self-sacrificing band of 
patriots. We find it recorded, that "previous to 1770, many acts of 
violence had been committed by both of the belligerent parties. 1* 
was at tnis date that the governor of New York attempted to enforce 
his authority over the territory in dispute by a resort to military 
force. Tlie Green Mountain Boys having learned that a military 
force of seven hundred and fifty men were marching to subjugata 
them, immediately organized themselves, and appointed Fthan Alien 
colonel, and Seth Warner, Remember Baker, and others, captains of 
the several companies under him. Tlie New York force ha\ing ad 
vanced at night upon the dwelling of a settler, were suddenly ear 
prised by the mountaineers in ambush, and the whole posse inglon 
ously fled, without a gun being fired on either side. The Qi'wr 



18 INTRODDOTOKY CHAPTER 

Mountain Boys were occasionally called out for military exercise lod 
discipline. In 1771, the governor of New York issued a })roola?nation 
offering a rev«rard for the arrest of Colonel Allen, and Ca[)t:ii!ie War- 
ner wid Baker. Several attempts were made to abduct them, hut 
none were successful." 

Subsequently, in the Indian conflicts, Mr. Baker's toes were on\ 
off, and other barbarities inflicted upon members of his faiiuly 
General Baker's father, who inherited the paternal name, removed to 
Stafford, New York, in 1815. La Fayette was born there, October 
13, 1826. When three yeare of age, his father removed to Klba, an 
adjoining town, where he lived till thirteen years of age, when the 
family started for the wilderness of the Great West. Mr. Remember 
Baker chose his home within the limits of Michigan, where Lansing, 
the capital, now stands, then a primeval forest, haunted by the abo- 
rigines. Soon the log-house and the clearing around it rewarded the 
toil of the father and the son. 

In the year 1848 he returned to New York, where he remained 
nearly two years, when he went to the city of Philadelphia, and waa 
engaged in mechanical and mercantile pursuits. Mr. Baker was 
married December 24, 1852, to Miss Jennie C. Curry, daughter of 
John Curry, Esq., of Southwark. The next year he went to Califor- 
nia. An incident occurred on the Isthmus, illustrative of his bold, 
fearless, and adventurous character. A native attempted to take 
a.lvantage of an Irish emigrant, and charge him for the passage of 
two children the second time. Mr. Baker remonstrated. The party 
of half a dozen were in a small boat, near Gorgona. The enraged 
boatman seized one of the children, and threatened to throw him in 
the water unless the unjust demand were complied with by the 
father. Mr. Baker told him to stop, but he refused ; when a well- 
directed blow from an oar staggered the man. Recovering himself 
d) a few moments, be drew his knife, and rushed toward Baker, 
who, raising his revolver, shot him dead, the lifeless body tumbling 
over the boat's side into the water. He suddenly became conscioug 
of his danger, aware that the native population would, if possible, 
kill him. Leaping from the small craft, ho waded to the opposite 
shore, the frantic pursuers at his back. Turning, he shot the leader, 
and crept into the tangled, matted thicket. Here he eluded searoh. 



GENERAL BAKER A}«D THE SECRET SERVICE. 19 

Uid at length reached the American consul's house, where he wa« 
concealed in a subterranean passage for two weeks, and then srang- 
gled on board of a vessel bound for California, and safely landt-*! 
The next meeting with one of his traveling companions, where tf^e 
tragic scene narrated occurred, was in Richmond. lie was accost cl 
by him there, but, as it will be seen, having become " Mr. Muns-m," 
did not choose to know his friend of California memory. 

Mr. Baker engaged in mechanical pursuits on the Pacific cuaft, 
when the lawiCSs period of 1856 called into existence the Vigilance 
Committee. Mr. Baker was immediately enrolled in the army of 
2,200 men, every one of whom was known by a number, his own 
being 208. In the summary work of ridding the country of reckless 
gamblers and " ballot-box stuffers," for exposing whose crimes James 
Casey had murdered James King of William, editor of the San I^afir 
CISCO Bulletin^ Mr. Baker was an active and efficient member, giving 
unmistakable evidences of that peculiar adaptation to the detective 
service, which has made him pre-eminent in it, on this continent, 
since the long struggle for victory over a foe that gloried in treason 
under a smiling face, and robbery in the name of malienable rights, 
called for and received the best men and treasure of the country. 
With the disbandment of the extraordinary and formidable organiza- 
tion, Mr. Baker returned to his peaceful occupation, in which he con- 
tinued till 1861, when he came to New York City, intending to 
remain only a brief period. Tli<^ appreciation of his services whUe a 
member of the Vigilance Coiniiiiuee and engaged in a mercantile 
agency, was very emphatically and tastefully expressed on New 
Year's day, the date of his departure, by the merchants of San Fi ai^ 
Cisco. They met at the Bank Exchange, and sent for Mr. Baker. 
When he entered the room, to bis entire surprise, a gentleman pre- 
sented him with a cane of mansinita wood, foimd only in Califoriiui. 
The head is polished gold quartz from the Ish Mine, Oregon, and 
around it are nine oval stones of similar material from as many dif 
ferent mines. The whole is richly mounted with solid gold, and 
cost two hundred and fifty dollars. 

At the very moment he was ready to return to the Pacific coast, 
the tocsin of civil war startled the land. In common with the loyal 
miUiona of the North, his patriotio indignation at the treasonable 



10 INTRODUCTORY CHATTER. 

revolt, and the desire to aid in its suppression, made all otbei pm 
poses and plans of small importance, lie immediately decided to 
abandon his business schemes and serve the imperiled country. How 
w^ell he succeeded, and his pubUc career from this poiut in his history, 
will appear in his story of the National Secret Service. 

In General Baker's personal appearance there is nothing, to a 
easual observer, remarkable. And yet, physically, he is an extraor- 
dinary man. Before the exhausting labors of his official position 
Airing the war reduced his weight, it averaged one hundred and 
eighty pounds. His frame is of the firmest texture, and its powers 
»f endurance rery great. For days together he has prosecuted ids 
duties without food or sleep, and exposed to winter storms. He 
is of medium height, lithe, and sinewy, and his movements are quick, 
and yet having the air of deliberateness natural to a profession in 
wliich circumspection and habitual self-control are among the first 
conditions of success. Around his forehead of intelligent outline lies 
a profusion of brown hair, and his face is partially covered with r 
heavy brown beard. His gray eye, in rei)ose, wears a cold expres 
sion ; in his naturally cheerful mood, and in the unguarded enjoy 
ment of social life, it is changeful and playful ; and, engaged in Ids 
special duty of detecting crime, it becomes sharply piercing, often 
making the victim of his vigilance to quail before its steady gaze. 
Lideed, he was evidently the man for the place he filled during the 
national struggle. The person.-il porW to which he exposed liniself, 
and the untiring service performed, ai the head of a division, or even 
a regiment, would have sounded his name over the land as a daring, 
antiring and heroic leader. He is probably the best " shot " in the 
country, and also a fine horseman. Some additional and interesting 
facts in his history will be noticed in the eloquent defense of General 
Baker by Mr. Riddle, in the " Cobb case." 

^"or nearly twenty years he has not tasted intoxicating drinks, 
but has been enrolled among the Sons of Temperance ; and what 
seems still more remarkable, when we think of the associations 
inseparable from his adventurous career, he has never been addicted 
to the shameless profanity so common in the army and among men 
of adventurous character. His fidelity and kindness of heart in hi* 



GENERAL BAKER AND THE SECRET SERVICE. 21 

domestic relations, and toward kindred less fortunate than himself 
are well known. 

Such are the general characteristics of the first national chief of a 
Detective Bureau in the war record of this country. 

Biackstone's definition of the police is : '' The due regulation and 
domestic order of the kingdom, whereby the individuals of a State, 
like members of a family, are compelled to conform their general 
behavior to the rules of propriety and good neighborhood, and good 
manners, and to be decent, inoffensive individuals in their several 
stations." 

The definition is comprehensive, and certainly gives to this public 
service both great utility and honorable, dignified character. Another 
able writer divides the services of policemen into several distinct 
duties; among which is "giving recent intelligence," the very work 
of the detective police, when a specialty in time of public perils, and 
one which awakens the prejudice and hostility of all classes. 

The history of the police of the world, would be a most exciting 
and instructive library of itself. We can only glance at this service 
in the two leading nations of Europe ; one Protestant and the other 
Catholic. " The office of constable," says a " magistrate," in his 
annals of the London police, " is as old as the monarchy of England." 
He writes again, with reference to the unpopular character of the in- 
dispensable office : " The best laws are worthless, if the public impres- 
sion be cherished that it is a matter of infamy to carry them into 
execution." Doubtless, the principal reasor for the general disfavor 
toward the police department, arises from the espionage inseparable 
from it. People do not like to be ivatchcd, and are still less willing to 
have their offenses against law and order reported to the tri- 
bunals of justice. Nevertheless, tlie records of the police, with all 
that is unworthy of it, are irresistible evidence of its importance in 
securing public and personal security from the depravity which scorns 
all restraints but the iron grasp of law. In Britain, the police de- 
partment has never become a national institution ; but, until compar- 
atively a recent date, has been " a hand to mouth affair." About the 
middle of the eighteenth century, Henry Fielding devoted his ener- 
gies and influence to the organization of the London police into an 
efficient and able force under the acting magistrate of the city. And, 



^2 iNTRODUOTORf CHAPTER. 

like the modern defenders of the " constitution," there were not a 
few who wrote and talked about the dangerous infringement of the 
rights of citizenship, and predicted the rapid decay <sf liberty, until 
the "British lion would slumber ingloriously in the net of captivity." 
But the reform went forward, and the charter of English freedom 
remained unshaken by the dreaded power of an omnipresent police. 
The crimes it exposed and the criminals convicted, for a single year, 
were tens of thousands. 

We turn to France for the most complete and successful system 
•of police service the world has yet seen. Until the latter part of the 
fifteenth century, the kingdom had no effective police. Even in the 
streets of Paris, " wolves roamed unmolested," and citizens forsook 
their h.abitations. Charles VIL took charge of the criiainal business 
of the realm, to the sudden alarm of the lawless people, who lived on 
the property and peace of the communities. Francis I., in 1520, 
appointed a provost-marshal, with thirty constables. The next grand 
-advance in this department of justice, was the creation, by Louia 
XIV., of a lieutenant-general, which office continued from March, 
1607, to the memotible July It, 1787. The most distinguished 
officer during this period was De La Renye. 

The storm of the PVench revolution, which swept away the entire 
order of things, reduced the police organization to sixty petty com- 
mittees. After the restoration, the prefect was appointed. Through 
all these changes, the national police of France stood alone in the 
recognition of its worth, and the mighty power it wielded in secu- 
ring the public good. 

The very vices of the great metropolis are so far regulated and 
controlled by it, that their ruinous results in Paris are probably not 
one-lialf they are in proportion to the population in Protestant Lon- 
lion or New York. We shall quote a few passages from Vidoc<i'# 
•ncmoirs, a man of doubtful character, but the great modern ParisiaB 
detective, to illustrate the practical workings of the system there. 

M. ITcnry, to whom Vidocq refers, was "the pr6fet" of police. 
He tlius describes his entrance upon his official duties : — 

" Aa the secret agent of goveniment, I had duties marked out, and 
the kind and respectable M. Henry took upon himself to instruct m« 
in their fulfillment; for in his hands were intrusted nearly the entii« 



qe^t:ral BxVker an'd the secret service. 23 

(Safety of the capital : to prevent crimes, discover malefactois, and to 
give tliera up to justice, were the principal fimctions confided to me. 
By thieves, ]\I. Henry was styled the Evil Spirit; and well did ha 
merit the surname, for, with him, cunning and suavity of mannem 
vere so conjoined as seldom to fail in their purpose. Among th* 
coadjutors of M. Henry was M, Bertaux, a cross-examiner of great 
merit. The proofs of hid talent may be found in the archives of the 
court. Next to hira, I have great pleasure in naming M. Parisot 
governor of the prisons. In a word, jM. Henry, Bertaux, and Paris«y 
formed a veritable triumvirate, which was incessantly conspiring 
against the perpetrators of all manner of crimes ; to extirpate rogue* 
from T*aris, and to procure for the inhabitants of that immense city a 
perfect security. 

" So soon as T was installed in my new office of secret agent, I com 
menced my rounds, in order to take my measures well for setting 
effectually to work. These journeys, which occupied me nearly 
twenty days, furnished me with many useful and important obser- 
vations, but as yet I was only preparing to act, and studying my 
ground. 

" One morning I was hastily summoned to attend the chief of tb«a 
division. The matter in hand was to discover a man named Watria, 
accused of having fabricated and put in circulation false money and 
bank notes. The inspectors of the police had already arrested Wat- 
rin, but, according to custom, had allowed him to escape. M. Henry 
gave me every direction which he deemed likely to assist me in the 
search after him ; but, unfortunately, he had only gleaned a few 
simple particulars of his usual habits and customary haunts : every 
place he was known to frequent was freely pointed out to me ; but 
it was not very likely he would be found in those resorts which pra 
dence would call upon him carefully to avoid ; there remained, thoro 
fore, only a chance of reaching him by some by-path. When 1 learn 
that he had left his effects in a fiimished house, where he once lodged, 
on the boulevard of Mont Parnasse, I took it for granted that, sooner 
or later, he would go there in search of his property, or at least thai 
he would send some person to fetch it from thence ; consequently, I 
directed all my vigilance to this spot, and after having reconnoitred 
the house, I lay in ambush in its vicinity night and day, in ord er ta 



24 INTRODUCTORY OHATTEB. 

keep a watcLful eye upon all comers and goers. This went on for 
nearly a week, when, weary of not observing any thing, I determined 
npon engaging the master of the house in my interest, and to hire an 
apartment of him, where I accordingly established myself with An- 
nette, certain that my presence could give rise to no suspicion. I 
ad occupied this post for about fifteen days, when one evening, at 
leven o'clock, I was informed that Watrin had just come, accom- 
anied by another person. Owing to a slight indisposition, I had 
retired to bed earlier than usual ; however, at this news I rose hast- 
ily, and descended the staircase by four stairs at a time ; but what- 
ever diligence I might use, I was only just in time to catcli Watrin's 
eompanion ; him I had no right to detain, but I made myself sure 
that I might, by intimidation, obtain further particulars from him. I 
therefore seized hira, threatened him, and soon drew from him a con- 
fession that he was a shoemaker, and that Watrin lived with him. 
No. 4, Rue des Mauvais Gargons. Tliis was all I wanted to know : 
I had only had time to slip an old greatcoat over my shirt, and 
without stopping to put on more garments, I hurried on to the place 
thus pointed out to me. I reached the house at the very instant that 
some person was quitting it : persuaded that it was Watrin, I at«- 
tempted to seize him; he escaped from me, and I darted after him 
op a staircase ; but, at the moment of grasping him, a violent blow 
w nich struck my chest, drove me down twenty stairs. I sprang for- 
% ard again, and that so quickly, that to escape from my pursuit he 
^ as compelled to return into the house through a sash window. I 
then knocked loudly at the door, summoning hira to open it without 
ilv^lay. This he refused to do. I then desired Annette (who had fol- 
(.vved mc) to go in search of the guard, and while she was preparing 
!(i obey me, I counterfeited the noise of a man descending the stairs. 
W'itrin, deceived by this feint, was anxious to satisfy himself whethei 
I had actually gone, and softly put his head out of window to observe 
A all was safe. This was exactly what I wanted. I made a vigorous 
<l»rt forward, and seized him by the hair of his head : he grasped me 
Tu the same manner, and a desperate struggle took place ; jammed 
iLj^ainst the partition wall which separated us, he opposed me witb a 
detei mined resistance. Nevertheless, I felt that he was growing 
weaker • I collected all my strength for a last effort; I strained every 



GENERAL BAKER AND THE SECRET SERVICE. 26 

nerve, and drew him nearly out of the window through which we 
were Btrnggling : one more trial and the victory was mine ; but in 
the earnestness of my grasp we both rolled on the passage floor, oo 
to which I had pulled him ; to rise, snatch from his hands the shoo- 
oaaker's cutting-kuife with which he had armed himself, to bind him, 
ind lead bim out of the house, was the work of an instant. Accom- 
panied only by Annette, I conducted him to the prefecture, where 1 
received the congratulations, first of M. Henry, and afterward tho^e 
of the prefect of police, who bestowed on me a pecuniary recompense. 
Watrin was a man of unusual address ; he followed a coarse, clumsy 
business, and yet he had given himself up to making counterfeit 
money, which required extreme delicacy of hand. Condemned to 
death, he obtained a reprieve the very hour that was destined for his 
execution ; the scaffold was prepared, he was taken down from it, 
and the lovers of siich scenes experienced a disappointment. All 
Paris remembers it. A report was in circulation that he was about 
to make some very important discoveries ; but as he had nothing to 
reveal, a few days afterward he underwent his sentence. 

" Watrin was my first capture, and an important one too ; this suc- 
cessful beginning awoke the jealousy of the peace-otticers, as well as of 
those under my orders ; all were exasperated against me, but in vain ; 
they could not forgive me for being more successful than themselves. 
The superiors, on the contrary, were highly pleased with my conduct ; 
and I redoubled my zeal, to render myself still more worthy their 
confidence. 

" About this period a vast number of counterfeit five-franc pieces 
had got into general circulation ; several of them were shown me • 
while examining them, I fancied I could discover the workmanship 
of Bouhin (who had informed against me) and of his friend, Dr. Ter- 
rier. I resolved to satisfy my mind as to the truth of this; and in 
consequence of this determination, I set about watching the steps of 
these two individuals ; but as I durst not follow too closely, lest the) 
might recognize me, and mistrust my observation, it was difficult fi>r 
me to obtain the intelligence I wanted. Nevertheless, by dint of 
an wearied perseverance, I arrived at the certainty of my not having 
mistaken the matter, and the two coiners were arrested m the very 



26 LNTRODUCTORT CHAPTER. 

act of fabricating their base coin ; they were shortly afttr condemned 
and executed for it." 

" In BO populous a capital as that of Paris, there are usually a vast 
many places of bad resort, at which assembled persons of broken 
fortune and ruined fame ; in order to judge of thera under my own 
eye, I frequented every house and street of ill-fome, sometimes unde 
one disguise and sometimes under another ; assuming, indeed, all 
those rapid changes of dress and manner which indicated a person 
desirous of concealing himself from the observation of the police, till 
the rogues and thieves whom I daily met there firmly believed me to 
be one of themselves ; persuaded of my being a runaway, they would 
have been cut to pieces before I should have been taken ; for not only 
had I acquired their fullest confidence, but their strongest regard ; 
and 80 much did they respect my situation, as a fugitive galley-slave, 
that they would not even propose to me to join in any of their daring 
schemes, lest it might compromise my safety. All, however, did not 
exercise this delicacy, as will be seen hereafter. Some months had 
passed since I commenced my secret investigations, when chance 
threw in my way St. Germain, whose visits had so often filled me 
with consternation. He had with him a person named Boudin, whom 
I had formerly seen as a restaurateur in Paris, in the Rue des Prou- 
vaires, and of whom I knew no more than that trifling acquaintance 
which arose from ray occasionally exchanging my money for his din- 
ners. He, however, seemed easily to recollect me, and, addressing me 
with bold familiarity, which my determined coolness seemed unable 
to subdue, 'Pray,' said he, 'have I been guilty of any oflcnse toward 
you, that you seem so resolved upon cutting me ?' — ' By no means, 
sir,' replied I ; 'but I have been informed that you have been in the 
service of the police.' — ' Oh, oh, is that all,' cried he; 'never mind 
tliat, my boy; suppose I have, what then? I had my reasons ; and 
when I tell you what they were, I am quite sure you will not bear m 
any ill-will for it' — ' Come, come,' said St. Germain,' I must have yo 
good friends ; Boudin is an excellent fellow, and I will answer for hie 
honor, as I would do for my own. Many a thing happens in life w« 
should never have dreamed of, and if Boudin did accept the situation 
you mention, it was but to save his brother : besides, you must feel 
satisfied, that were his principles such as a gentleman ougUi Dot tc 



GEITERAL BAKER AN'D THE SECRET SERTKIE. 21 

pi.s^^CRS, why, you wouM not find liim in rny company.' I was much 
fimusod with this excoiK-nl i\':iMoniii<^, a-, vvell ;is wiih the pledge given 
f(.r Hou'liu's gooil fiiith ; ho\vf\er, I no longer sought to avoid the 
c'(iii\ LTsaliou of Doudin, It was imtiinl etsongh that St. Germain 
nliuuld relate to lue all that had h;ip|>en('d lo him since hifl last disa|>- 
^.'arance, which had given me sncli pleasure. 

"After complimenting me on my tlight, he informed me tliat after 
riy arrest he bad recovere<l his eni[)loyuient, which he, however, waa 
not fortunate enough to keep ; he lost it a second time, and had since 
l»een compelled to trust to his wits to pioenre a subsistence. I rt*- 
qnesled he would tell me what had bi-come of Blondy and Deluc? 
What,' said he; ' the two who slit the wagoner's tliroat? Oh, why, 
fhe guillotine settled tln'ir business at IJeauvais.' When I learnt that 
Uiese two villains had at length rea'scd the just reward of their 
crimes, I experienced but one regret, and thit was, that the heads ot 
iheir worthless accomplices had not fallen on the same scaffold. 

"After we had sat together long enough lo empty several bottled 
of wine, we separated. At parting, St. Germain having observed that 
I was but meanly clad, inquired what I was doing, and as I carelessly 
BUBwered that at present I had no occu]);ition, he promised to do his 
best for me, and to push my interest the first opportunity that offered. 
I suggested that, as I very rarely ventured out, for fear of being ar- 
rested, we might not j)0ssibly meet again for some time. * You can 
see me whenever you choose,' said lie; ' I shall expect that you will 
call on me frequently.' Upon my promise to do so, he gave me his 
address, without once thinking of asking for mine. 

" St. Germain was no longer an object of such excessive terror as 
formerly in my eyes; I even thought it my interest to keep him in 
Bight, for if I applied myself to soiutinizing the iictions of suspicious 
persons, who better tlian he called for the m<>st vigilant attention? 
In a word, I resolved upon purging society of such a monster. Mean- 
while, I waged a determiueil war with all the crowd of rogues who 
nfested the capit:d. About this time, robberies of every species were 
mjltiplying to a frightful extent: nothing was talked of bat stolen 
palisades, out-houses broken open, roofs stri])ped of their lead ; more 
than twenty reflecting lamps were successively stolen from the Rue 
Fontaine au Roi, without the plunderers being detected For a 



28 rNTRODUCTORY OR AFTER. 

whole month the inspectors had been lying in wait in order to sur 
prise th<im, and the first night of their discontinuing their Vigihinc* 
the same depredations took place. In this state, which appeared like 
setting the police at defiance, I accepted the task which none seemed 
able to accomplish, and in a very s«liort time I was enabled to bring 
the whole band of these shameless plunderers to public justice, which 
Lmmediately c<msigued them to the galleys. 

" Each day increased the number of my discoveries. Of the man)' 
wbo were committed to prison, tliere were none who did not owe 
their arrest to me, an<l yet not one of them for a moment eusj»ected 
ray share in the business. I managed so well, that neither within nor 
ffithout its walls had the slightest 8us])icion trans])ire<l. The thieves 
of my acquaintance looked upon me as their best friend and true com- 
rade ; the others esteemed themselves ha])py to have an opportunity 
of initiating me in their secrets, whether from the pleasure of con- 
v^ersing with me, or in the hope of benefiting by tny counsels. It 
was principally beyond the barriers that I met with these unfortunate 
beings. Oue day that I was crossing the outer IJoulevards, I was 
accosted by St. Germain, who was still accompanied by Boudin. 
riiey invited me to dinner ; I accepted the jtrojjosition, and over a 
bottle of wine they did me the honor to propose that I should make 
a third in an intended murder. 

"The matter in hand was to disjiatch two old men who lived 
together in the house which Boudin ha-l formerly occupied in the Rue 
djs r^-o' It aires. Shuddering at the C(mfidonce [»laced in me by these 
villainy, { yet blessed the invisible hand which had led them to S(,'ek 
my ail. At first I affected some scrujdes at entering into the plot, 
but at lust feigned to yie'd to their lively and pressing solii^itations, 
and 't was agreed that we should wait the fivorable moment for put- 
ting into execution this most execrable project. This resolution taken, 
I bade farewell to St. Germain and his companion, and (decidt'tl u|)or) 
preventing tl.e meditated crime) hastened to carry a report of the 
afiair to M. ilenry, who sent me^ without loss of time, to obtain m<ue 
ample details of the discovery I had just made to him. His intention 
was to satisfy himself whether I had been really solicited to take part 
in it, or whetLer, from a mistaken devotion to the cause of justice, 1 
had endeavored to instigate those unhappy men to an act which would 



GENERAL BAKER AND THE SECRET SERVICE. 29 

render them amenable to it. I protested that I bad adopted no auch 
expedient, and as be discovered marks of truth in my manner and 
declaration, he expressed himself satisfied. lie did not, however, 
omit to impress on me the following discourse upon instigating agents, 
which penetrated my very heart. Ah, why was it not also heard hv 
those wretches, who, since the revolution, have made so many victims 
The renewed era of legitimacy would not then, in some circumstances, 
have recalled the l^oody days of another epoch. 'IJeiuember well,' 
said M. Henry to me, in conclusion, ' remember that the greatest 
scourge to society is he who urges another on to the commission of 
evil Where there are no instigators to bad practices, they are com- 
mitted only by the really hardened ; because they alone are capable 
of conceiving and executing them, \yeak beings may be drawn 
away and excited : to precipitate them into the abyss, it frequently 
requires no more than to call to your aid their passions or self-love ; 
but he who avails himself of their weakness to procure their destruo- 
tion, is more than a monster — he is the guilty one, and it is on his 
head that the sword of justice should fall. As to those engaged in 
the police, they had better remain forever idle, than create matter for 
employment.' 

" Although this lesson was not required in my case, yet I thanked 
M. Henry for it, who enjoined me not to lose sight of the two assas- 
sins, and to use every means in my power to prevent their arriving 
at the completion of their diabolical plan. ' The police,' said he, 
* is instituted as much to corroci uid punish malefactors, as to pre- 
'^ent their committing crimes ; but on every occasion I would wish it 
to be understood, that we hold ourselves under greater obligations to 
that person who prevents one crime, than to him who procuies the 
]tunishment of many.' *****♦*♦* 

"At the words 'secret agent,' a feeling almost approaching to 
suffocation stole over me, but I quickly rallied upon perceiving that 
however true the report might be, it had obtained but little faith with 
5t. Germain, who was evidently waiting for my explanation or denial 
of it, without once suspecting its reality. My ever-ready genius 
quickly flew to my aid, and without hesitation I replied, that 1 was 
not much surprised at the charge, and for the simple reason that I 
myself had been the first to set the rumor afloat. St. Qermain stared 



30 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 

with wonder. ' My good fellow,' said I, ' you are well aware that 1 
managed to escape from the police while they were transferring me 
from La Force to Bicetre. Well 1 I went to Paris and stayed there 
till I could go elsewhere. One must live, you know, how and where 
one can. Unfortunately, I am still compelled to play at hide and 
seek, and it is only by assuming a variety of disguises that 1 dare 
venture abroad, to look about and just see what my old friends aie 
doing ; but, in spite of all my precautions, I live in constant dread of 
many individuals, vvhose keen eyes quickly penetrate my assum2)tion 
of other names and habits than my own ; and who, having formerly 
been upon terms of familiarity with me, pestered me with questions 
I had no other means of shaking off, than by insinuating that I was 
in the pay of the police ; and thus I obtained the double advantage 
of evading, in my character of "spy," both their suspicions and ill- 
will, should they feel disposed to exercise it in procuring my arrest.' 

" 'Enough — enough,' interrupted St. Germain; 'I believe you; and 
to convince you of the unbroken confidence I place in you, I will let 
you into the secret of our plans for to-night.' " 

We add a single adventure which is illustrative of the shrewdness 
and success of the ever-active, fearless, ?ielf-reliant, and successful 
Vidocq : — 

" I was employed to detect the nuthors of a nocturnal robbery, 
committed by climbing and forcible entry into the apartments of the 
Prince de Cond6, in the Palais Bourbon. Glasses of a vast size had 
disappeared, and their abstraction wns effected with so much precau- 
tion, that the sleep of two cerUrij who supplied the place of a watch- 
man, had not been for a moment disturbed. The frames in which 
these glasses had been were not at all injured : and I was at first 
tempted to believe that they had been taken out by looking-glass 
makers or cabinet-makers ; but in Paris these workmen are so numer- 
ous, that I could not pitch on any one of them whom I knew, with 
any certainty of suspicion. Yet I was resolved to detect the guilty, 
and to effect this I commenced my inquiries. 

" The keeper of a sculpture-gallery, near the Quincaux of the inva- 
lids, gave me first the information by which I was guided. About three 
o'clock in the morning, he had seen near his door several glasses in the 
care of a young man, who pretended to have been obliged to station 



GENERAL BAKER AXD TUE SECRET aERVICE. 51 

tliem there while waitini^ for the return of liu porters, who had brulsen 
their hand-barrow. Two hours aflcruar.l, the young man, having 
found two messengers, liad made ihein carry off the ghisses, and liail 
directed them to the side of the Fountain of the Invall-ls. According 
to the keeper, the person he saw was about t\\ eniy-three years of 
aj^e, and about five feet and an incli (French measure). He wag 
clothed in an iron-gray greatcoat, and had a very good countenance. 
1'his information was not iunnediately useful lo me; but it led me to 
find the messenger, who, the day after the robbery, had carried some 
glasses of large size to the line Saint-Dominiijue, and left them at the 
little Hotel de Caraman. These were, in all i»rubabillty, the glasses 
stolen, and if they were, who could say that ila-y had not cliauged 
domicile and owner? I had the person who had received them pointed 
out to me, and determined on introducing myself to her; and that 
my presence might not inspire her with fear, it was in the guise of a 
cook that I introduced myself to her notice. The light jacket and 
cotton nightcap are the ensigns of the profession ; I clothed myself 
in such attire, and, fully entering into the spirit of my character, went 
to the little Hotel de Caraman, where I ascentled to the first fioor. 
The door was closed ; I knocked, and it was opened to me by a very 
good-looking young fellow, who asked me what I wanted. I gave 
him an address, and t<dd him that having learnt that he was in want 
of a cook, I had taken the liberty of offering my services to him. 

" * J\ly dear fellow, you arc under a mistake,' he replied, ' the ad- 
dress you have given me is not mine, but as there are two Hues 
Saint-Dominique, it is most probably to the other that you should go,' 

*'A11 Ganymedes had not been carried otf to Olympus, and the 
handsome youth who spoke to me had manners, gestures, and languagi^ 
which, united to his appearance, convinced me in an instant witL 
whom my business lay. I mstantly assumed the tone of an initiate in 
tin; mysteries of the ultra philanthropists, and after some signs which 
he perfectly understood, I told him how very sorry I was that he did 
uol want jue. 

" ' Ah, sir,' I said to him, 'I would rather remain with you, even 
if yon only gave me half what I should get elsewhere ; if you only 
knew how miserable I am ; I have been six months out of place, and 



32 INTRODUCTORY CHAjr'TER. 

I do not get a dinner every day. Would you believe that thirty-sii 
hours have elapsed and 1 bave not taken any thing ?' 

"'You pain me, my good fellow; what, are you still fasilngl 
Come, come, you shall dine here.' 

"I had really an ap})etite capable of giving the lie I had just ut 
tered all the semblance of truth ; a two-pound loaf, half a fowl, cheese 
and a bottle of wine which he had procured, did not make luisc 
sojourn on the table. Once filled, I began again to talk of my unfur 
tunate condition, 

" 'See, sir,' said I, 'if it be possible to be in a more pitiable sitmv 
tion. I know four trades, and out of the whole four can not get em- 
ploy in one — tailor, hatter, cook ; I know a little of all, and yet can not 
get on. My first start was as a looking-glass setter.* 

"'A looking-glass setter!' said he, abruptly; and without giv- 
ing him time to ueflcct on the imprudence of such an exclamation, 1 
went on. 

" ' Yes, a looking-glass setter, and I know that trade the best of the 
four ; but business is so dead that there is really nothing now stirring 
in it.' 

*" Here, my friend,' said the young man, presenting to me a small 
glass; 'this is brandy, it will do you good ; you know nut how much 
you interest me. I can give you work for several days.' 

" ' All ! sir, you are too good, you restore me to life ; how, if you 
please, do you intend to employ me?' 

" ' As a looking-glass framer.' 

" 'If you have glasses to fit, pier. Psyche, light-of-day, joy-of-Nar 
cissus, or any others, you have only to intrust me with them, and I 
will give you a cast of my craft.' 

" ' I have glasses of great beauty ; they were at my country- hou8«, 
whence I sent for them, lest the gentlemen Cossacks should take a 
fancy to break them.' 

" ' You were quite right ; but may I see them ?' 

" ' Yes, my friend,' 

" He took me into a room, and at the first glance I recognized the 
glasses of the Palais Bourbon. I was ecstatic in their praise, their 
size, &c ; and after having examined them with the minute attention 



GENERAL BAKER AND TEE SECRET SERVICE. 

of a mau wu? understands what he is about, 1 praised the skill of the 
wurkinnn who unframed them, without injury to the silvering. 

'"The workman, my friend,' said he; 'the workman was myself: 
I would not allow any otlier person to touch them, not even to loac* 
them in the carriage.' 

" ' Ah ! sir, I ;mi very sorry to give you the lie, but what you tell 
mo ie iiii|)ossibIft ; a man must have been a workman to undertake 
6uch work, and even the best of the craft might not have succeeded.' 

" In spite of my observation, he persisted in asserting that he had 
no help, and as it would not have answered my purpose to have con- 
tradicted him, I dropped tlie subject. 

" A lie was an accusation at which he might have been angry, but 
ric did not speak with less amenity, and after having given me his 
instructions, desired me to come early next day, and begin my work 
as early as possible. 

" ' Do not forget to bring your diamond, as X wish you to remove 
those arches, which are no longer fashionable.' 

" He had no more to say to me, and I had no more to learn. I left 
liirn, and went to join my two agents, to whom I gave the description 
ol the j)erson, and desired theni to follow him if he should go out. A 
warrant was necessary to etfect his apprehension, which I procured ; 
and soon afterward, having changed my dress, I returned, with the 
commissary of police and my agents, to the house of the amateur of 
glasses, who did not expect me so soon. He did not know me at first, 
and it was only at the termination of our search, that, examining me 
more closely, he said to me : — 

" ' I think I recognize you ; are you not a cook ?' 

" ' Yes, sir,' I replied ; ' I am cook, tailor, hatter, lookingglasj 
setter, and, moreover, a spy, at your service.' 

" My coolness so much disconcerted him, that he could not uttex 
another word. 

" This gentleman was named Alexander Parultte. Ilesides the two 
glasses, and two chimeras in gilt bronze, which he had stolen from 
the Palais Bourbon, many other articles were found in his apartmenta, 
the produce of various robberies. The inspectors who had accornj»ar 
nied me in this expedition undertook to conduct Paruitte to the depot 
but, on the way, were careless enough to allow him to escaj)e, ric^y 
1 



E4 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 

was it until ten days afterward that I contrived to get sight of him, 
at tie gate of the embassador of his highness, the Sultan Mahraoud 
and I apprehended him at the moment he got into the carriage of a 
Turk, who apparently had sold his odalisques. 

"I am still at a loss to explain how, in spite of obstacles which 
the most expert robbers judged insurmountable, Paruitte effected the 
robbery which twice compelled me to see him. He was steadfast 
n his assertion of having no companions; for on his trial, when 
sentenced to irons and imprisonment, no indication, not even the 
Blightest, could be elicited, encouraging the idea that he had any 
participators." 

Tlie annals of this Bureau, we think, will establish the three fol 
lowing propositions : 

I. The Detective Bureau, although contrary to the spirit of our 
republican institutions in time of peace, is indispensable in time of war. 

II. Some of the most important army movements and battles have 
been made and fought entirely upon information obtained through 
^his Bureau. 

III. There is nothing in the Sceiet Service that demands a viola- 
Ion of honor, or a sacrifice of principle, beyond the ordinary rules of 

j^arfare. 

Reference will be made to these statements in connection with 
the striking and illustrative facts which will be recorded in the 
progress of the narrative. 

There is an important distinction to be made between the service 
ot a scout and that of a detective. The principal qualifications in the 
8cout are courage and daring. He is to ride boldly into the enemy'a 
lines, generally during action, or while the army is in n^otii^n. to 
ascertain the locality and movements of the hostile forces. 

The detective must possess ability, shrewdness, great self-rclianc< 
and self-control, discretion, courage, and integrity. lie will have 
complicated and important measures to carry forward, requiring no 
ordinary amount of mental power, and plans and plots to unravel 
which demand keen discernment and a profound knowledge of men ; 
critical moments, when vacillation, or even hesitation, would be fatal; 
secrets, which without a complete mastery over feeling and all its 
forms of expression, will be revealed ; delicate quest'ons of procednrt 



GEXEP.AL BAKER AXD TITE SECRET SERVICE. Sf) 

ftTifl rliity, to decide v.lii(!i the nicest |inidciice will be necessary; 
danj^fcrs to meet, requiring a fearless S})irit nothing can alarm or in- 
timidate ; and, to crown all, as the servant of the Government in 
matters of the gravest rcsponsihllity, he must have reliability of 
diaractcr to win and hold the uncloude<l confidence of its oHlccrji 
in his revelations, on which the most momentous operations may 
dpp< nd. 

A moment's reflection will convince any mind of the correctnoss '- 
of this estimate of qualifications, among which the last-mentioned 
has not been generally understood and appreciated. But the fidelity 
to his trust of the Chief of the Detective Police must be such as to 
command no ordinary faith in information which may decide the 
victory or defeat of an army. Not only so, but he must be inap- 
proachable by bribery. Striking illustrations of this will be given in 
the record of official services. Another interesting fact will appear* 
General Baker's impartial justice to the colored race, in contrast 
with the cminiiis of slavery, whose most cruel wrongs he was com- 
pelled to meet, and endeavored to remedy. 

The detective police has ever been an uidispensable institution in 
the old monarchies of other lands. The throne is apart from the 
people, and under its shadow watchful eyes must guard the sover- 
eign's life and law, by observing and reporting the first symptom of 
discontent, or intimations of a treasonable plot. 

In a republic the people govern, and in the nature of thmgs an 
official espionage in the time of peace over their conduct, by some of 
their own number, is contrary to the genius of the institutions they 
create and control. But when war, especially its most fearful form, 
a civil conflict, exists, the unnatural condition of things calls for the 
detective service, to watch and bring to justice the enemies of the 
State, who are plotting its ruin. 

There are reasons why such needful and valuable service has fallen 
into dishonor, many regarding it as small and doubtful business in its 
Dature, thoroughly illustrated by the common adage, " It takes a 
rogue to catch a rogue." In despotic countries, shrewd and unprin- 
cipled men have been largely employed to betray their companions in 
guilt, and, guided by their experiences in vice, to put the police and 
other officers of justice on the track of criminals. 



36 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTKR. 

In this country, the Detective Bureau was ent rely new ; and 
there was, for a time, mismanagement of its work in certain quarters. 
Department commanders, district and post provost-marshals, and 
post quartermasters, permitted by military law and army regulations 
to do so, have, in the contingencies of the case, employed detectives. 
Most of these persons had only a limited knowledge of the detective 
service. As an inevitable result, the most ignorant, unscrupulous, 
and worthless characters were sometimes employed by them. 

The fact is, the detective business for the war was commenced 
with no head, system, or regulations, excepting such as were made by 
those having no knowledge of the peculiar and difficult business. 

Had C<»ngrcss passed a law at the outset of the Rebellion, author* 
izing the organization of a detective police, with a head responsible 
only to the War or some other Department, no complaints would 
ever have been heard against a detective police system. 

From the nature of the detective's professional work, he mu»t 
pre-eminently awaken prejudice at every step, and make bitter ene- 
mies, not only among those hostile to the cause with whvcJi hir- ••'i^eciai 
service is connected, but also among its friends. 

He must interfere with plans of speculation, and cut off extra 
rations, which unlawful appropriations might secure. Then, again, 
his business forbids him to give his authority for certain acts, or 
assign any reason for his procedure. Ilence the clamor was often 
raised, of rash and lawless abuse of power, when all the time he was 
acting under the direct orders of Government. These statements 
will have abundant confirmation in the pages of this history. 

And we doubt whether any other officer, not excepting the 
r.ieutenant-General, has more patiently borne misrepresentation and 
abuse in silence, for the sake of the common cause of the country, 
than General Baker. 

With sublime moral courage, for nearly five years he toiled on, 
with the crushing weight of public opinion, and prejudice, and peril 
of death constantly before him, sustained by exalted patriotism, 
and a laudable desire to excel in his peculiar service or line of duty. 
While the public press was filled with eulogies upon daring and valor 
of officers in the field, the Chief of the Detective Bureau, whose 
deeds are no less heroic, and the importance of whose achievement* 



GENERAL BAKER AND THE SECRET SERVICE. 37 

cannot De over-estimated, if noticed at all by the press, is referred to 
In a doubtful or contemptuous manner. And even when the chief 
and his subordinates frequented the presidential mansion, after the 
execution of the assassins of Mr. Lincoln, because telegrams were 
received from leading army officers, giving information of a design 
by friends of the murderers to avenge their death, the object and 
motives of the protection were unappreciated and, by a member of 
lie cal)inet, denounced. The facts will appear in the progress of 
Lljese annals. 

He was not permitted to disclose his authority for the summary 
uork he was required to do. The projtricty for such a course by the 
^'"ar Department we do not question, for we know not the reasons 
back of it — lliey are not given. The fact, however, prt'sonts clearly 
the offensive position in which he was placed by the difficult and 
perilous office he held, even while he desired to be transferred to a 
more pleasant service. He was thus the target of unjust suspicion 
and bitterest hate, when the true object of the popular and personal 
displeasure was in reality the Government he was faithfully obeying. 
We give here a single forcible illustration of the truth of thes»3 
statements, and of General Baker's uncomplaining endurance of un- 
deserved persecution. 

During 1862, an order was issued to arrest a certain prominent 
Pennsylvanian, on the charge of selling a large quantity of bandages 
and lint donated by ladies benevolent societies in Philadelphia or the 
benefit of the Union soUlicrs. 

General Baker knew nothing about the case, having no acqaaint- 
ance even with the individual, nor the charges brought against 
him. 

It was his official work only to arrest and confine him in the Old 
l'aj)itol prison. This duty he performed. Within an hour, a whole 
delegation of friends called at General Baker's hca<lquarters, and, iii 
an excited and boisterous manner, demanded the prisoner's release. 
He wjie ofiered a large amount for bail. To all this outcry and ap- 
peal, ne calmly replied, that he knew nothing of the charges ; wm 
simply executing orders. The same evening, an indignation meeting 

was held, presided over by Judge B , a prominent Union man of 

Pennsylvania. Resolutions were passed, openly denouncing General 



.38 INTRODUCTURY cnAPTKK. 

']>aker as an arbitrary, vindictive man, and appointing a comraitte* 
to wait on the President and Secretary of \Var, asking for liis dis- 
missal from ser\-ice. In this instance, which is one among many of 3 
•similar character, he was not permitted to show the order of arrest 
'to any citizei. A reporter was never allowed to enter his head- 
quarters, nor any corammiication allowed to be had by his bureau 
with the public press. Yet there are not wanting cheering tokens 
of confidence and esteem. The f^itizcns of Philadelphia presented ^ 
him with a badge of solid gold, nearly three inches square, sur 
■mounted by an eagle carved from the coin, and bearing on a scroll 
the words "Death to Traitors;" and on the back, "Presented to 
•L. C. Baker, by his friends." Its value was not less than two hundred 
dollars. 

The officers of the First District Cavalry, raised by General Baker, 
.presented to him an elegant saber, with sash of China silk, valued it 
about the same amount. 

He was also the recipient, from officers, of the most elaborately 
•finished saddle and traj)pings probably in the country. Its value 
vfus six hundred and fifty dollars. These and other mementoes of 
regard confirm the statement, made by prominent officers, that his 
-su\»<)rdinates in the Bureau, numbering in all about four hundred, 
were ready to fight tor him. 

We have received, among oth.er volunteer testimony to his official 
eagaeity and achievements, the following — the first from a chaplain 
in " Baker's Cavalry," the other from another army chaplain : — 

"General Baker, I think, acquitted himself with marveluus tact, 
energy, and success. lie was the terror of all rogues, whelluM- with 
clean faces or dirty, in broadcloth or rag^, with a general's star or a 
corporal's stripe. I think that, during the most critical period (if the 
war, he was (next to Secretary Stauton) the most important officer of 
the Government." 

Washihotow, D. C, June IS, I'^f.S. 

♦* In regard to Gen.L. C. Baker, Chief Detective of the War Depart- 
ment, during the late rebellion, I feel it a duty to say : JF'lr.^L It ia 
scarcely possible to estimate the (/ood he has accomplished in strength- 
ening the armies aield. Second. In weeding out the mischievous and 
the worthless. Third. In making copperheads, scoundrels, and traitori 



GENERAL BAKER AND THE SECRET SERVICE. 39 

feel the secret war power at homo. I believe him to have done more 
during the late war to save the country than any other single power. 
His name carried with it a dread that made evil-doers tremble. !!« 
was always at his post when wanted (a rare trait), and most efficient 
when active. Booth knew that Baker was in New York, or he would 
have delayed the tragedy of the 14th of April, 1865 ! And when he 
knew that Baker was on his trail, his heart fainted in him, and losf 
all hope ! 

'* And now about certain facts Baker may state with respect to men 
high in official relation with the Government or otherwise : The half 
he will not tell. I know of many things he will not state which I 
would. I have no mercy on men who will corrupt and contaminate all 
with whom they come in official contact ; and men who, in time of 
peace, after treason has been put down, again secretly plot the ovor 
throw of a Government at once the best and noblest that the aun of 
the Eternal ever shone upon. 

" I hope to see truth come, let it cut where it may, as I believe the 
country to be still in danger ; and unless some master hand will seize 
the knife and lay open the festering wound, the disease of the Repuh 
lie will never heall *' I am, very respectfully." 

It may interest the curious reader to give some illustrative inci- 
dents in regard to trivial circumstances which lead to detection, and 
which would escape the notice of men unaccustomed to the close 
obseiwation indispensable to success in the secret service. 

The clue to a deserter's character was found in his bronzed face 
while his dreiss and positive declarations indicated the life of a quim 
citizen. In another case, the falsehood was exposed by the sjyur-marl 
ill the boot. A soldier in disguise, and asserting his innocence of 
battle-service, was detected through an examination of his hand, on the 
palm of which was a callous spot where the gun-lock had pressed in 
the march. 

The red line on Government stockings and the peculiar style of t^e 
shirts have revealed the fact denied by the lips and all the rest of th« 
appareL 

A deserter from the Twelfth New York Battery so well concealed 
his " soldiering " that nothing; about his person confirmed my suspicionn 



40 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 

At last General Baker resorted to strategy. He watched for an 
opportunity when he was lazily dozing in his office, and suddenly and 
loudly shouted : " Fall in, men I" He started up, looked around, and 
began to prepare for the march. It was plainly useless to deny any 
longer that he had been in the ranks. 

At another t'me, General Baker was searching for a female spy 
and had his attention drawn to rather a delicate-looking young man, 
whom he followed, with some companions, into a saloon. When the) 
•tood before the bar, drinking and talking, he noticed that this youth 
threw up the fingers often to brush aside the hair. The form was 
shaped like a woman's, and in a sitting posture the hands were crossed 
'ust as women are in the habit of placing them. 

He called the astonished stranger aside, and desired a private inter- 
view, in which he said the game of deception was finished — that he 
knew both the sex and business in hand. She burst into tears, and 
confessed all. 

Not imfrequently the simplest disguises were entirely successful. 
The slouched hat drawn down over the forehead ; the garb of 
*' butternut," or of an honest farmer; the dress and manner of an 
itinerant Jew ; the face and gait of an inebriate, — each served the 
purpose of an introduction to the desired company and scenes. 

We might multiply illustrations, and make an inventory of dis- 
guises in apparel and modes of dressing the hair and face to wliich the 
detective is compelled to resort. But, excepting the narratives which 
will make further revelations of the kind, these will be sufficient to 
indicate the varied language of moral and professional character and 
pursuits to a practiced eye. 

]\Iention has already been made of the fact that the detective 
dice of the Government were brought into disrepute, and some 
easons assigned for it. ITis bureau was known as the only regularly 
organized national police, although, as stated before, there were 
employed, at the headquarters of every department conmiander, 
provost-marshal, and quartermaster, a large number of persons repre- 
senting themselves as Government detectives. These men had been 
Belected, in many instances, from the most worthless and disreputable 
characters, and whenever they were found to be receiving bribes, or 
•jommitting other offenses, they were always denominated " Baker's 



GENERAL BAKER AND THE SECREl SERVICE. 41 

detectives." The reporters of the press invariably did this. Hence 
he was held responsible to the public for the acts of these scoundrels, 
when in fact he knew nothing of their operations, except as he might 
have occasion, from time to time, to arrest them himself. The provost- 
marshal of the District of Columbia, appointed under the Enrollment 
Act, for the recruiting service, had employed at one time a large num- 
ber of these detectives. Scarcely a day passed but complaints wore 
made at his headquarters respecting these men. There was in the vicin- 
ity of Washington a large military force; and a bounty had been offer- 
ed for the apprehension of deserters. The enrolling provost-marshal at 
Washington had detailed a number of his detectives and placed them 
on duty at the Baltimore depot in Washington, for the purpose of 
apprehending them. A deserter, in citizen's clothes, would repair 
to the depot, and attempt to enter the cars ; these officers would 
arrest him, and for a smaU bribe allow him to go at large. This was 
practiced for many months. Colonel Baker caL'ed the attention of the 
Secretary of War to the fact, but there seemed to be no remedy. 
Finally, he dete»"mined to ascertain who these detectives were. Assu- 
ming the garb and dross of a loafer and deserter, he one evening 
repaired to the depot, lie was so completely disguised that his own 
men did not recognize him. On attempting to pass the gate and enter 
the cars, he was stopped by an individual who said, "Let me see your 
ticket." He showed him his railroad ticket, when he charged him 
with being a deserter. lie replied that he was nut; that he was a 
citizen, and did not want to be detained. One or two other detectives 
approached, and all insisted that he should be arrested. Accordingly, 
he was taken into a small room, with one or two others, who had also 
been arrested and searched. They took from him liis passage ticket, 
a valuable gold watch, and some seventy-five dollars in treasury notes, 
which he had marked for the occasion. He was then placed in charge 
of a detective, to be taken to the provost-marshal's headquarters. 
Instead of taking Colonel Baker directly there, the detective took 
him to a low drinking-saloon on Seventh Street, near the avenue, 
called the " ISIcClellan House," which was the general rendezvous ot 
these detectives and deserters. He was here asked to take a drink, but 
he declined, pretending to feel very badly about his arrest. He was 
then taken into a back room, and in the presence of detectives No. 1 



42 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 

and 2, his watch and money were divided between the two detectives 
Ho was here told that he could go at largo, provided he would leave 
his watch and money. lie complained bitterly of this treatment, and 
threatened to report the facts to Colonel Baker, when tliey laughed, 
and remarked that they were not Colonel Baker's detectives, but the 
detectives of the provost-marshal. lie consented to give them tlie 
money, but declined to give up his watch, as it was a very valuabU 
one. This refusal induced detective No. 2 to take him to the provost- 
niarshal's headquarters. On the way there, he had a conversation 
wath the detective, who told him it was very foolish for him to go to 
headquarters ; if he went there, he would be locked up for several 
days, and finally sent back to his regiment, tried, and perhaps shot as 
a deserter. He persisted, however, in declining to deliver up the 
watch. On arriving at headquarters, Baker was ushered into a room, 
where, seated at a table, he saw the provost-marshal, with whom he was 
well acquainted, and his clerks, none of whom recognized him. Tin 
detective remarked to the provost-marshal, " Here is a deserter, 
captain, that we have taken at the depot. He won't tell what 
regiment he belongs to, but if we o^k him up a few days, and put 
him under the shower-bath, he will probably tell all about it." The 
provost-marshal said to him, " \Vh;it regiment do you belong to ?" 
He said, " Sir, I am not a deserter, but a citizen." He remarked, 
" Oh, that's played out. "We know you ; we have been looking for 
you for some time." Some other conversation occurred, and the pro- 
vost-marshal directed that Baker should be locked up. He took off 
his old slouched hat, and, standing at the end of the tabk, said to the 
provost-marshal, " I am Colonel Baker. I have assumed this disj,-uise 
for the purpose of detecting your detectives, and ascertaining the 
modus operandi by which deserters are allowed to esc.ipe." Tl.a 
a-pect of a proud superiority gave place to that of consternation. Tli« 
detective attempted to leave the room, when Colonel Baker iinme 
;li itely arrested him, took him to his headquarters, searched him, and. 
found a portion of the money he had marked, in his pocket. 

It was a standing complaint against the Detective Police Bureau 
that the force was liable to be corrupted. In no other branch of 
public service were the opportunities so great for manipulation and 
bribery as in the police department. It is a well-known £ajt that 



GENERAL BAKER AND THE SECRET SERVICE. 43 

nearly every individual arrested, who represented or personated an 
officer of the Government, was alleged to be one of Colonel Baker's 
men. At Barnum's Museum, in 1865, a man was arrested who 
had a forged appointment from him. At Elmira, New York, an 
other was arrested with a similar paper, endorsed by the Secre 
tary of War. These, and hundreds of other instances of a simila 
character, were heralded through the country as a sufficient reasoi. 
why the Detective Bureau should be abolished. In New York, two 
individuals by the names of McNeil and Garvin had for a long 
time represented themselves as attached to his force. They visited 
saloons and gambling-houses, threatening to close them up unless 
certain sums of money were paid. Their operations were principally 
confined to the arrest of deserters, who were endeavoring to keep out 
of the way of arrest. In the month of February, these individuals 
arrested one John H. Harris, who was an oninibus-driver in the city 
of New York, and demanded from him the sum of one hundred 
dollars, in consideration of which they would allow him to go at 
large. The fact was reported to Colonel Baker, and he immediately 
detailed officers to search for these bogus detectives. 

Harris not having the money with him, but having a friend in 
Maiden Lane, by the name of Depew, he asked McNeil and Garvin to 
come to his friend's store the following morning and he would give 
them the one hundred dollars. In the mean time Baker directed a 
detective to conceal himself in the store. At the appointed time the 
detectives arrived, received the one hundred dollars, and were imme 
diately arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to the penitentiary. 

Meport in cases of John McNeil and Charles Garvin. 

John II. Ilarna, of No 156 West Thirty-fifth Street, bet wee 
Sixth and Seventh Avenues, stage-driver, states : — 

lie has been arrested twice before this, on charge of being 
deserter; both times discharged, and no proof against him. 

On February 17, 1865, McNeil and Garvin got into his stag*, 
rode with him to the end of his route, \\ here they arrested him on 
charge of being a deserter; told him they were Government officers, 
and proposed to compromise the matter with him. He took them to 



44 mTTjonrrToT^Y rn AFTER 

his house, and arranged to p.iy ihora one hundred dollars if C^y 
would meet him tlie next day at the office of a Mr. Depew. Tliey 
declined ; then went together to Depew's hotel, represented them- 
selves to Depew as Government officers, and authorized to make 
arrests ; agreed to let off H.iiris if Depew would become responsible 
for the payment of one himdred dollars next day. Depew agreed to 
do so ; parties arranged to meet at Depew's office, No. 53 Ccdnr 
Street. Depew then gave information to Colonel Baker, who SL'iit 
one officer to the place of meeting. The parties met ; McNeil pro- 
fessing to have a deacriptive list for Harris, which he said he would 
tear up on receipt of the one hundred dollars. The one hundred 
dollars were paid by Depew to McNeil and Garvin, when the officer 
ap]>eared and took them into custody. 

Tlie money and certain papers are transmitted to you with this 
statement. The money will be needed in proof, after which I think 
it should bo returned to Depew. 

J. n. Harris. 

It may be said, that the deception and misstatements resorted to. 
and inseparable from the detective service, are demoralizing, and prove 
(insoundness of character in its officers. But it must be borne in mind 
tliat, in war, no commander fails to deceive the enemy when possible, 
to secure the least advantage. Spies, scouts, intercepted correspoti 
dence, feints in army movements, misrepresentations of military 
strength and position, are regarded as honorable means of securing 
victory over the foe. The work ol the detective is simply deception 
reduced to a science or profession ; and whatever objection, on ethical 
grounds, may lie against the secret service, lies with equal force against 
the strategy and tactics of Washington, Scott, Grant, and the host ol 
their illustrious associates in the wars of the world. "War is a lan» 
and terrible resort in the defense of even a righteous cause, and sets 
at defiance all the ordinary laws and customs of society, overriding 
the rights of property and the sanctitj of the Sabbath. And not 
until the nations learn war no more, will the work of deception and 
vaste of morals, men, and treasures, cease. 



CHAPTER I. 

ORIGIN OF THE BCREAU OF DETECTIVE SERUCB. 

The first Visit to Washington — Interview with General Hiram Walbridge. nud Ooa 
W. D. Kdley — Introduction to General Wintield Scott — Return to New y>.rli 
— Aj poii.led by General Scott to renew the Attempt to visit Richmond — The flrst 
Failure — Crossing the Lines — The Arrest — Eiaminatious — Sent to G*ueraJ 
Beauregard — On to Richmond. 

In April, 1861, 1 went to AVasliington, to learn, if possi- 
ble, in what capacity I conld serve the loyal cause. At 
Willard's Hotel, I met its able and fearless cljani})ion, 
General Hiram Walbridge, of New York, and the Hon. 
William D. Kelley, of Philadelphia. We conversed freely 
upon the condition of the country, and the necessity of more 
reliable information respecting the strength and movements 
of the enemy. 

General Walbridge then saif'' to me, '' Baker, you arw 
the man of all others to go into this secret service ; you 
have the ability and courage." General W., with the 
Hon. Mr. Kelley, strongly urgnd an interview with Gen- 
eral Scott, who was i?i coii.uriand of the Army of the 
United States; accom]>aiii<'d liy him and the Hon. George 
W Wright, of California, [ went to his rooms. My father 
having fought under Gen. Scott in tlie last war with P^ngland, 
1 was introduced as the son of "an old friend, with dis- 
cretion, ability, and courage to do what was necessary." 

After a little general conversation, the venerable com 
mander requested those present to leave the room, when he 
ijilked freely of my experiences as a detective, and the 
services required to ascertain the strength and plans of the 
enemy, requesting an interview the following day. 

At the hour appointed, with a deliberate purpose to accept 
any service for the country he might desire, I was again 
closeted with the Lieut. -General. After stating tliat he had 

45 



46 UmTED STATES SECRET SERVIOE. 

thus far found it impossible to ohtain definite information re- 
specting the rebel forces at Manassas, that of the five nwu wlio 
had been sent to Richmond two were known to be killed, 
and the other three were probably taken prisoners, with 
patriarchal and patriotic interest, he said to nie : "Young 
man, if you have judgment and discretion, you can be of 
great service to the country." 

I then told him that I could not immediately engage in the 
service, but must at once return to New Yoik, toanange un- 
settled affairs ; and left him with the understanding that i 
should report to him as soon as cLrcunistances would i^piiuit 
The latter part of June, I was again in Washington, and 
bad repeated interviews with the General. The result was, 
a definite arrangement for a journey toward Richmond, if 
not mlo the rebel capital. Directions in detail were given 
me respecting the difficult service I was expected to perfonn. 

Taking from his vest pocket ten double eagles of coin, 
General Scott handed them to me, expressing the warmest 
hopes of my success in the excursion to " Dixie." 

July 11, 1861, I started for Richmond. Along the route 
of my travel toward the Confederate Capital, and while 
there, I was to learn, if possibl«% the locality and strength of 
the hostile troops, especially of the dreaded Black-horse 
cavalry, and also of their fortifications ; leaving no oppor- 
tunity to gather items of iiifoi-mation concerning the move- 
ments and plans of the eiuiny which might be of any service 
to the Government. 

To one unacquainted with the nature of the service, it 
may seem strange that our troops should not know my char- 
arter and design. But such concealment is not only always 
practiced in the Secret service, but was pre-eminently needful 
f(/jf us at that time, when we knew not whom to trust, because 
traitors were in the Government and in the army. To let the 
Union troops into the secret, would be to send it to Rich- 
mond before I had reached Manassas. Guarding the frontier 
of the Confederacy, the rebel army lay before Washington, 
stretching from a point three miles below Alexandria, toward 
the Potomac, eight miles above the capital. At Alexandria, 
then recently stained with the martyr blood of Ellsworth, 
Gen. Heintzelman was Provost-marshal. No passes were 



DTTERYIEW WITH HEINTZELMAN. 4 

recognized by either tlie Union or rebel army, and 1 musl 
Qecessarily run the risk equally, in tlie attempt to pass tlieii 
lines, of being arrested as a spy. The surreptitious move 
ments would begin, therefore, with the first step from Wash 
ington toward the " sacred soil of Virginia." 

1 went to a daguerrean establishment, and purchased foi 
four dollars an old box Avhich had once contained photo 
gi-aphic apparatus, slung it across my back, after the fasliion 
of an itinerant artist, and started for Alexandria. Four miles 
out of the city I came to the Second Maine Regiment, and 
proceeded at once to the headquarters of the colonel. He 
received me politely, and wished me to take a view of the 
camp, including his tent and the principal officers standing 
in the foreground. War scenes were new to tlie people, and 
the desire was natural enough, to gratify friends at home 
with pictures of the martial field. After a good dinner, I 
took my box, and told the colonel I would go to a neighbor- 
ing hill and take views of the encampment, tlien return to 
photograph the headquarters. I was soon in the woods with 
my hollow box, eluding guards, and pushing forAvard through 
the tangled undergrowth, toward the heart of rebeldom. 
When across the Federal lines as I supposed, I was startled 
with the shout, "Who goes there ?" I looked up, to see 
sentinel, with lifted gun, standing upon a knoll Just before me. 

I had no alternative but to surrender, and march with 
him to the colonel's quarters. This officer was' sure lie had 
caught a spy, and, escorted by ten men, I was sent back along 
the railroad, the same way I came, to General Heintzelman's 
headquarters. The lieutenant in charge presented me to the 
coiiinianding officer, with the following fiattering and promis 
ing introduction: "Here is a spy, general, that we foun 
lurking about our camp, trying to get through the lines." 

" Oh 1 you villain you, you," said Ileintzelman, witli hi 
usual nasal twang and an oath, "trying to get through m^ 
lines, are you ? I've a good notion to cut your head off 
But I'll fix you, you rascal ; Til send you to General Scott." 
Another guard, with a message from the brave general, who 
was evidently gratified with the successful vigilance of hia 
men, was ordered for me, and I was hurried away to Wash- 
iiigton. The escort was dismissed bv General Scott, and my 



48 UNITED STATES SECRET 8ERVI0K. 

story told. AVitli an expression tliat indicated both amuse- 
ment at tlie ruse, and its failure, and confidence in rae, the 
old veteran said : " "Well, try again !" 

The u])rising North was now sending her legions to the 
field of civil conflict, and in an almost unbroken line th^j 
were marching over Long Bridge into Virginia. That night. 
I took a position at the end of the bridge, and, when a regi 
ment came down broken into considerable disorder, I stt']>]i»si 
into the ranks, hoping to be borne along with the troojjs. 
Unfortunately, a lieutenant saw the movement, and, taking 
me by the collar, put me under guard, and sent me back to 
the rear. Another night was spent in Washington, but not 
wholly in sleep. My mind was busy with new plans for a 
successful visit to the Confederate capital. 

With the dawn of the next morning I renewed my jour- 
ney afoot through the lower counties of Maryland, toward 
Port Tobacco, traveling thirty-five miles that day, and reach 
ing that town at night. Exhaustion prepared me for sound 
and refreshing sleep. In the morning I gave a negro a twenty- 
dollar gold piece to row me across the river, wli"n I was 
safely in the Confederacy, below Dumfries. Tiie country 
was wooded, and an unfrequented road, whose geneial direc- 
tion was toward Richmond, suggested the line of my ad- 
vance into the Old Dominion. I j)ursued my solitary Journey 
through the desolate country, slaking thirst, excited by the 
heat of the Southern sun, at brooks which at intervals crossed 
my path. I could necessarily have no settled plan of future 
movements, but trusted to providential indications of what, 
under the circumstances, it would be prudent and politic to 
do. AVith that entire composure of feeling and self-reliance 
which attend a purpose, however daring, when once th*^ 
die is cast, to reach its final issue, I cast my qjq over th« 
sparsely-settled country, with its old roads crossed witii 
paths, and studded with oaks, particularly careful to observe 
the least sign of a human form within its horizon. Four miles 
of distance lay between me and the banks of the Potomac, 
when two Confederate soldiers made their appearance, too 
near me to make an escape possible. I was taken prisoner 
under an order to arrest as a spy any stranger passing thai 
way, and marched off towaid camp, eight miles distant A 



SECOND ATTEMPT TO CROSS THE LINES. 49 

beer sliop by the roadside tempted the guard, and we all 
entered it. I was invited to drink. I saw my o})portunity, 
and, ahhough I never indidge iu stimulants, accepted the 
offer of a glass of ale, and in return treated ray captors. The 
generous indulgence was repeated, until my escort were 
stujMclly under the influence of the potations, and fell asleep 
on the stoop of the beer-house, leaving me to go unmolested 
on my way. 

I went up the road toward INIanassas Junction, congratulat- 
ing myself on my easy escape, when four rebel cavalrymen 
suddenly came out of the brush and ordered me to halt ; 
then drawing their sabers, commanded me to surrender. I 
replied to them : " I am a peaceful citizen, unarmed, and on 
my way to Richmond." One dismounted, proceeded to 
search me, and succeeded in finding a number of letters 
introducing me to prominent rebels in Richmond. Among 
them were two written by tlie Rev. Mr. Shuck, for many 
years a missioiiary in China. He returned to Caliform'a, where 
I had formed his acquaintance, and came to the Atlantic 
States in the same steamer with myself. He was at this time 
chaplain of a rebel regiment near Richmond. After obtaining 
possession of all my letters, the boastfid chivalry could not read 
them. They requested me to be seated, while they heard from 
me the contents of the epistles. 

Taking advantage of their ignorance, I read such portions 
as I chose. They at once directed me to proceed under 
guard to Brentsville, distant about ten miles-^they riding, 
and keeping me on foot between them, and constantly con- 
versing in a low tone of voice respecting the importance of 
the arrest. Arriving at Brentsville at ten o'clock, P. m., I 
was taken to the headquarters of General Bonham, of South 
Carolina, commanding at that point, ushered into the large 
tent occupied by General Bonham and staff officers, and 
ordered to take a seat. In a few minutes. General Bonham, 
in splendid uniform, took a seat beside me, and commenced 
conversation, by asking the direct question, "Where did 
you come from, and where are you going?" I replied: "I 
came from Washington, and am on my way to Richmond." 
Apparently unconscious of the deference due to the com- 
manding officer, I sat with my hat on. Observing it he 
4 



50 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVIOE. 

said, "Take off your hat, sir." With the order, I at one* 
complied. 

The letters were then handed to General Bonham by one 
of the captors. 

After reading, he said, '*How dare you come inside of 
my lines f 

Exliibiting proper surprise and indignation, I replied, '* 1 
am a loyal and peaceful citizen of the United States, engag*'d 
in an honorable and legitimate pursuit. I have business in 
Richmond, and desire to go there." 

He replied, " Well, I will see that you do go there. I 
believe you are a Yankee spy, and I'll send you to General 
Beauregard at once." lie gave the necessary order to detail 
a guard, and, handing a sealed letter to a lieutenant standing 
by, said, " Put this man in irons, and with this letter take 
him to General Beauregard's headquarters." Accordingly 
I left Brentsville at twelve o'clock at night, protesting, how- 
ever, against being compelled to go on foot. Re said, "As 
you have chosen that mode of conveyance, sir, you ought 
not now to find fault. Take him away." 

We arrived at Manassas Junction about daylight, and 
went to General Beauregard's headquarters — the Weire 
House. Completely exhausted by the walk, and the excite- 
ment attending the arrest, I laid down in front of the house 
and went to sleep. At nine o'clock a. m., I was awakened 
by the wann, bright rays of the sun, shining in my face, 
and found myself in charge of the guard attached to the 
headquarters. I called for food, and was informed that 
General Beauregard desired to see me. I was taken into his 
presence, with whom were two or three staff officers. Point 
ing to an open letter (General Bonham's, I supposed), ll^- 
said : "From this letter I see you have been found withiii 
our lines. What explanation have you to make ?" 

I replied, "I am from Washington, and going to Ricn 
mond, on private business. I have not intended to violate 
any law, regulation, or military rule, of the Conl'ederatf 
army." 

"When did you leave Washington?" 

" Day before yesterday," I replied. 

" Where did you cross the river ?" 



AT BEAUREGARD'S HEADQUARTERS. 61 

" In the vicinity of Port Tobacco." 

'* How did you get across ?" 

"In a boat." 

" Who brought you across 1" 

''A negro." 

" So you are going to Richmond, are you ?" 

" Yes, if I can get there ; but am willing to return If yoB 
will permit me to do so." 

"No ; I prefer that you should go to Richmond. Whert- 
do you reside ?" 

"I have lived in California the last ten years: but fbr 
merly lived in the South," 

"What part of the South?" 

"Knoxville, Tennessee." 

" IIow long since you were in Knoxville?" 

"Ten or twelve years." 

" What is your name ?" 

" Samuel Munson." 

" Yes, 1 see from your letters that that is your name : 
but what was your name before you turned spy?" 

" I am no spy." 

" I believe you are : and, if I was satisfied of it, I would 
hang you on that tree," pointing through an open window 
to an oak-tree in full view. "Orderly," he added, "take 
this man out and put him in the guard-house." 

" I am very hungry ; can you give me breakfast ?" 

" You will liud breakfast in the guard-house." 

I was taken by the guard to a stockade or pen, inside of 
which was a log-house. Following the officer in command, 
I said : 

" Sir. I am very hungry— can you give me something tc 
eat?" — taking from my pocket a gold eagle. At sight of 
the coin, he said — 

" What will you have?" 

" Send out and get me the worth of that, or the best 
breakfast you can get." 

He soon returned with a good warm breakfast and a bot 
He of sour wine. The wine I gave to the guard, and ate the 
breakfast. 

Having put myself on good terms with the officer in 



C2 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVT'^K. 

command of the guard house, he asked me what T was 
there for. 

I replied I did not know — hut, if not in vr>h'ition of hla 
orders, would like to go outside in cliarge of a guard. 
Wlietlier if would be so or not, the sight of a twenty-dollai 
gold piece relieved his mind of any douht on the suhjecL 
Ilanding it to him, he called a soldier and said : 

" Take this man out, and walk him around awhile." 

I went to the hotel, treated my escort, and then went with 
him to take a general survey of all the troops in the immedi- 
ate vicinity of Manassas Junction. One of my instructions 
from General Scott, and not least in im})ortance, was to ascer- 
tain the numbers of the famous, and by the Union arinj 
much dreaded, black-horse cavalry. In conversation with 
my half-drunken guard, I referred to this cavalry, and in- 
quired where they were. 

He replied, "Down on the railroad." 

I expressed a wish to see them. 

He said, " Certaiidy — them's the boys to whip the 
Yankees !" 

We went down the line of the railroad lialfamile, and 
there found the cavalry in camp. I asked him how rL-my 
men there were in that command. 

He said, ''Two hundred." 

I made a thorough inspection of these troops. My accom- 
modating guard then took me to all the camps, })ointed out 
the different intrenchments in course of erection, the names 
of the several regiments and brigades, who commanded them, 
their strength, &c. When I had obtained this infomiation, my 
guard met drunken friends, and left me to go where I pleased. 
Fearing I should be missed, I immediately returned to the 
guard-house. I was not locked up, but allowed to remain in 
the stockade, where I met two fellow-prisoners, as 1 then sup- 
posed, who at once began asking me questions. It did not 
take me long, however, to decide that they were (h^coys. 
placed there for the purpose of eliciting from me, if possible, 
my real character. They complained bitterly of their treat 
raent, and one even requested me to take a letter to hia wife 
in Washington. 

I consented to take the letter. It was written in a way well 



THE COLPORTEUR. 55 

calculated to mislead me. I went to the gnard-honse, called 
the lieutenant on guard, and said : " You have a spy in the 
stockade " — handing him the letter. He said, " I will send it 
up to headquarters." A few minutes later I saw the same 
man in private confidential conversation with the lieutenant, 
at the same time pointing to me across the yard. 

This satisfied me of the truth of my suspicions. Repeated 
efforts were afterward made, during my stay in the stockade, to 
ascertain who I was, and my intentions. To all inquiries, 
however, I had but one answer, and that was : " That th^^y 
had made a great mistake in arresting me." My next ques- 
tioner was a woman, assuming the calling of a colporteur, or 
tract distributer. I was standing by the pump — she ap- 
proached me and said : 

" Sir, will you read one of my tracts?" 

*' Certainly, thank you, madam." 

Handing me two or three tracts, she remarked, "This war 
is a terrible thing. How long have you been here ?" 

" Came here this morning." 

She said -"Read those tracts, and then give them to yoni 
fellow-prisoners." 

" What are you here for ?" 

" I do not know, madam, but hope nothing very serf 
ous." 

" Do you live in the South ?" 

" No, I am from the North — was arrested yesterday dowB 
on the river." 

"Oh, you are from the other side, are you — from Wash- 
ington ?" 

" Yes, I left there three days ago." 

" Are you going back ?" 

"Well, that depends upon General Beauregard." 

"Ohl he is a very kind man, and certainly woul. I not 
keep you here a moment without some good reason. Were 
ou born in the North ?" 

" Yes, I suppose I am a Yankee." 

" Is the North really going to fight the South ?" 

" I think it wUl." 

She then left me, to continue her mission, distributing 
acts to the prisoners and guards. 



66 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Retnming soon afterward, she said in a low tone of voice. 
*'] am trying to do all the good I can. Are you a Chris- 
tian?" 

I answered, " I thought I was once, but now have very 
serious doubts on the subject." 

She then added : " The lieutenant thinks you are a spy : 
if you are, be very careful what you say. I was born at tho 
N orth, but have lived among these people seven years. My 
sympathies are all with the Northern people. I am trying 
now to get a pass from General Beauregard, that I may visit 
my sister in New York, who is a teacher in one of tne public 
schools. I will gladly take any message you may want to 
send to your friends. I think I shall get my pass to-mo-- 
row." 

The only reply I made was, "I think I shall see my 
friends before you do." 

With this she shook my hand cordially, and left me. 
Two years and a half later, I met my tract friend, who was 
the famous "Belle Boyd," under very different circumstances, 
which will be recorded in the order of their occurrence. 

At eleven o'clock that night, the sergeant, with four 
men, came to the guard-house, and took me to General Beau- 
regard' s headquarters, where I again caught a glimpse of the 
attentive colporteur. After waiting in silence a brief time, 
the sergeant ordered me to follow him. 

"Where am I going?" I asked. 

" To Richmond. Fall in, men." 

I was at once marched to the depot, and put into a freight 
car which had been used for the conveyance of troops, hav- 
ing the sides knocked off near the top, and started off at half- 
past one o'clock, p. m. The train moved very slowly, and 
Gordonsville was not reached until the next night. This 
otherwise irksome delay afforded me an excellent oppor 
t unity to observe the number of troops moving toward Ma- 
nassas. 

At Gordonsville, I was turned over to another guard, put 
into a passenger car, and entered Richmond at eight o' clock 
the succeeding evening. 

The tidings of my capture had gone before, and the value 
of it to the Confederacy discussed and of course magnified, 



m SIOHMOFDi 57 

as was everything by distance, on both sides, at that early 
period of the Tvar. 

Instead of giving me a cell in Libby prison, I was con- 
veyed to the third story of an engine-house, an open, airy 
loft, with a clean bed, and in all respects more comfortable 
quarters than I anticipated. A guard of two soldiers were 
my keepers. 

I retired to rest, and reflected on the course to be followed 
from this crisis in the enterprise. I was in the rebel capital, 
must survey its military resources, and get back to Waab- 
ington, or ^e as a spy 



CHAPTER II. 

RESIDENCE IN RICHMOND. 

Bununoned to an interview with Jeff. Davis — Subsequent Examinations by him— 
Critical Emergencies — Mr. Brock — "Samuel Munsou" — Confidence secured — Mr 
" Munson" is appointed Confederate Agent — Original Letters from Davis, Toomba, 
and Walker — Starts for the North — Unpleasant Delays — A Narrow Escape — 
Reaches the Potomac — Deceives the Dutch Fishermen and runs the Rebel Gaunt 
let safely. 

On the fourtli or fifth day of my confinement, a commis- 
eioned ofiicer, attended by a guard, entered the apartment 
and said the President wished to see me. I obeyed the sura 
mons, and after reaching his room waited nearly two hours 
before I was presented to Mr. Davis with the simple expres- 
sion, "This is the man, sir I" The room occupied by him 
in the Spottswood House was a front parlor connecting witli 
a bedroom. The weather was warm, and he wore simply a 
light linen coat, without vest, collar, or cravat. He then said, 
'* You have been sent here from Manassas as a spy I what 
have you to say ?" I related the circumstances of my 
capture, complaining bitterly of my treatment, to which he 
listened with perfect indifference. He then asked substan- 
tially the same questions Beauregard had proposed, and 
which were answered as nearly as possible in the words used 
during the interview with him. I was taken back to the 
engine-loft, and at the expiration of three days was once 
more escorted to the executive apartment. The Confed- 
erate President was out, engaged in the inspection of troopa 
who had just arrived from the South, and I returned to my 
quarters without an interview. At the expiration of a week, 
I was ordered for the third time into the presence of Jeffer- 
son Davis. The following inquiries were made by him : 

" How many troops do you suppose there are in Washing- 

ion and its vicinity 1" 

58 



OONYERSATION WITH JEFF. DAVIS. 61 

I answered, " I have no means of knowing ; probably 
75,000 or 100,000, with more daily arriving." 

" Who commands the Yankee troops?" 

"I suppose. General Scott." 

"Where are his headquarters?'' 

♦'In Washington." 

*' Then he is not with the troops 1" 

*' No ; General McDowell is in immediate command." 

I was then marched back to my prison-chamber. 

At the next interview the arch-traitor determined to raali i 
a thorough and satisfactory examination of his prisoner. 

He began : " What is your name, sir ?" 

*' Samuel Munson." 

** Where were you born ?" 

*♦ In Knoxville, Tennessee." 

" What is your business here 1" 

" The settlement of certain land-claims in California for & 
man whose agent I am." 

" Who is the man ?" 

*' Rev. Mr. S , of Barnwell Court-IIouse ; now I 

believe a chaplain in the array." 

Having brought with me from the Pacific Coast land-claims 
In behalf of a minister, who returned to Barnwell Court- 
House, his former place of residence, and whose name as 
chaplain was on the Army Roll, my statement had certainly 
an air of plausibility. 

" How long have you resiih'd North ?" 

" I have been in California eight years." 

" When did you leave California ?" 

" On the first day of January, 1861." 

'* Were you in Washington ?" 

*' I was." 

'♦ Did you come directly here from Washington f * 

♦' Yes, sir." 

** Were there many troops in Washington 1" 

** Yes, sir, a great many." 

" How many?" 

♦• It is impossible to say, as they were constantly arriving 
and departing." 

*♦ Where were they concentrating 1" 



62 UNITED STATES SECRET 8ERVI0E. 

** In Virginia, opposite Washington." 

•' Throwing up tbrtiticatious, are they ?" 

** Yes, sir; I believe so." 

"Are they fortifying Arlington Heights 1" 

*' I do not know." 

*' Or in the vicinity of Long Bridge ?" 

'* I do not knrw." 

"Are they fortifying about Alexandria ?" 

" I can not say, I have not been there." 

" Can you tell me the names of any of the regiments now 
In Washington?" 

I mentioned the names of a few of which he could not have 
failed to know something through the press and rumors 
afloat. 

He continued, "Where is General Scott?" 

" I do not know. He is said to be in Washington.' 

" Do you consider yourself a Southern man ?" 

"Yes, sir, I do." 

"Do you sympathize with the Southern people?" 

"I do." 

" Are you willing to fight with them ?" 

"Yes, sir." 

« Will you enlist ?" 

"No, sir." 

"Why not?" 

"Because I am here on business which I ought first to 
accomplish." 

The guard was summoned to take "Mr. Munson" to hia 
prison again. Before leaving, I stepped forward to a table 
on which stood a pitcher of ice-water, and, turning to the 
rebel chief, said : 

" Will you allow me to take a drink of ice- water ? I get 
none where I am." 

"Certainly," he replied. 

1 was soon in my upper room reflecting upon the diffi- 
culties in my way, and the probability that they would yet 
♦.hwart my plans, and leave me undisguised at the mercy of 
exasperated enemies. 

Three additional days of monotonous life in my loft were 
passed, when I was summoned once more into the presence 



ANOTHER EXAMINATION. 63 

of Davis. He sat by his table writing, with liis back toward 
the door, while nearly opposite, reclining upon a lounge 
half asleep, and looking much like a man who had imbibed 
strong drink too freely, was Robert Toombs. He roused him- 
self as I entered, to listen to my examination by the Presi- 
dent, who, laying down his pen, turned to me and said : 

" Have you any other way of proving that your name ig 
Munson, excepting the letters found in your pocket ?" 

"I am not acquainted here, sir, and do not know any 
one." 

Davis resumed his writing for a few moments, then said : 

" Do you know how far they are running the cars on the 
Alexandria and Orange Railroad ?" 

" I don't know. I have not been on that side." 

" Do you know whether they are running the cars on the 
Leesburg road?" 

"I do not." 

" How many Yankee troops do you think there are in the 
vicinity of Washington ?" 

" I have heard that there are one hundred and twenty 
thousand, but have no means of knowing whether it is 
true." 

" I suppose you know who commands them ?" 

" I believe General McDowell does." 

"You say you are originally from Knoxville. Can yoD 
sgive me the name of any persons whom you know there f 

"It has been a good many years since I lived in Knox- 
ville, but I remember some persons who were there when 1 
left." 

I gave the names of several men whom I knew resided 

in that city. 

" Would they know you ?" 

" I think so, though a residence of eight years in Califor^ 
nia has, no doubt, changed me very much. If I should see 
them, I think I could make them remember me." 

I had taken the name of Munson, because I had learned 
that several families of that name belonged in Knoxville, and 
the son of a Judge Munson had been in California, whom I 
could represent. 

Davis rang a bell, a messenger appeared, and, taking a 



64 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVIOE. 

name, left the room. I suspected at once his errand. He 
was dispatched for somebody from Knoxville, to identify 
me, if my story were true. The crisis in my affairs had 
come. I concluded the game was up, and my vocation gone. 
It was a moment of great anxiety, and my thoughts were in- 
tensely active with the possibilities of escape from the snare 
in which I seemed to be caught. Davis continued Avriiiiig, 
and Toombs closed his eyes. The messenger left the door 
ajar, and, unobserved, I drew my chair nearly in front of it, 
to gain a view of the outer hall. In it, on a small table, were 
blank cards on which those who called to see the Confed- 
erate President wrote their names, and sent them by an or 
derly, before they were admitted to an audience with him. 

Soon the messenger with a stranger entered the hall. 
The latter wrote his name, and handed it to the orderly, who 
came in where I was sitting. I raised my hand to take the 
card, and he stopped to give it to me, when I glanced at the 
name, and made a motion to have it laid on Davis's table. 
The rebel Executive did not observe this, and Tombs waa 
apparently asleep. The orderly put the card before him, 
was directed to admit the visitor, and retired. The Knox- 
ville man came in, and, turning toward him with a look of 
Budden recognition, I rose, grasped his hand, and exclaimed : 

" Why, how do you do. Brock ?" 

Toombs raised himself up and nodded to Davis, w ho said • 

" Be seated, sir. Do you know this man ?" 

Brock was taken by surprise, but, not to appear i^'norant 
before the President, replied : 

" Yes, I know him, but I can't call his name now." 

*'My name is Munson, of Knoxville. Don't you remem- 
ber Judge Munson' s son who went to California ?" 

"What, Sam Munson?" 

"That's my name." 

**0h yes," said Brock, turning to Davis, "now I remem 
ber him. Yes, I know him very well." 

"Do you know his people there ?" asked Davis. 

"I know his father. Judge Munson, very well." 

Toombs stood up and said, "That will do, sir, that will 
do," and Brock walked out of the room. 

Toombs then drew a chair close to Davis, and they con- 



A SINGULAR SCRPRIgK. 65 

versed in whispers for a few momenta, when the gnanl 
escorted me to my quarters. I fancied that I had made some 
progress at this interview. 

The next morning brought Mr. Brock to my loft, evidently 
sent to satisfy himself fully that I was Sam Munson. A deli- 
cate and difficult task was before me, and the result to my 
own mind very doubtful. Brock, however, was talkative, 
willing to carry on the conversation, and evidently quite sure 
that he was not mistaken in his man. I knew something of 
the Munsons, and localities in Knoxville, and, by the aid of 
imagination, could fill any pauses in Brock's conversation; 
eight years of absence excusing failures in memory. Brock 
asked leading questions, saying, for illustration, "You know 
so-and-so." "Oh, yes," I responded, though I had not the 
remotest knowledge of the person. Then Brock would refer 
to something very ludicrous, and I would burst into laughter, 
as though at the recollection, while Brock, greatly enjoying 
it, would unconsciously tell the whole story, so that I could 
put in a fitting remark here and thert-, which seemed to come 
naturally from recollection. Brock went away entirely sat- 
isfied, and reported to Jeff. Davis. Two days later, a com- 
missioned officer entered the room with a parole, pledging 
myself not to leave the city of Richmond without orders from 
the provost-marshal. I signed it, and was released from con- 
finement. With the freedom of the city, I continued my 
observations. 

Walking through a street one Sunday morning, by a 
high board fence covered with posters concerning regiments 
being organized and other military announcements, from 
which I gleaned additional information, a man came up and 
slapped me on the shoulder with, — 

" Hallo, Baker ! What are you doing here?" 

The name sounding strangely, under the circumstances, 1 
was startled, but, looking around, calmly said : 

" I guess you are mistaken, sir. My name is Munson." 

" Ain't your name Baker ?" 

"No, sir." 

" Didn't you go to California in 1850 ?" 

" No, sir. I have lived in California, but I did not go 
there tiU '62." 
« 



66 UNITED STATES SECRET SEHVICE. 

*'Why, didn't you go across the isthnms with me in 
A-pril, 1850, when we had the fight with the natives ?" 

■'No, sir. I guess you have mistaiien the man." 

*' Well, I would have sworn that you were Baker. 
Didn't you have a brother there !" 

" I had a brother there, but he came home in '53." 

"Well," said he, turning away, "it's all right, I sup 
pose ; but I never saw two men look so much alike in my 
life !" 

In the mean time I had obtained information of military 
movements and plans, learned where the enemy had stationed 
troops, or were building fortifications, and what they were 
doing at the Tredegar works. I had obtained the knowledge 
for which I came, and was anxious to return North. 
Through the influence of Hayes, I got from the provost-mar- 
shal, a pass to visit Fredericksburg, making an appointment 
to meet the former, which, of course, I did not keep. Arri- 
ving in Fredericksburg, I made three or four ineffectual at- 
tempts to get into the country, and finally, by the aid of a 
negro, crossed the Rappahannock one morning four miles be 
low the city. To reach the Potomac would tax all my pow- 
ers to the utmost, but the case was desperate and I must go 
forward. As, when entering upon my Southern tour, it waa 
indispensable to success that I should even among friends be 
incog., so now I must return with the precious epistles in my 
pocket, through the Confederate lines, on my own account, 
having only the chances of escape which any wanderer at 
large might have. 

My face was toward Washington, and the only question 
remaining was, whether the success in the attempt to reach it 
would equal that of my journey to Richmond. 

The Potomac was the goal of my solitary travel through 
forest and over open fields ; for on its northern banks lay the 
Union Arm}, and, once across its waters, I was safe. My 
appearance was that of a common citizen, and I hoped to 
pass unnoticed any persons with whom a meeting was un- 
avoidable. Scarcely two miles were traveled, when, by the 
side of woods which bordered the road, an officer and soldier 
on horseback appeared, and too near to give me time to seek 
concealment in the forest. 



A SLEEPY GUARD. 67 

Tlie officer reined up before me, and inquired : " Have 
you got a pass, sir:" 

"Yes, sir." 

" Let me see it." 

With the promptness of assurance, I drew forth and 
banded him the pass from Richmond to Fredericksburg, 
if able to read, I hoped he might be satisfied with a glance 
at the paper, and let me proceed. He studied it awhile, till 
his eye caught the word " Fredericksburg ;" he then said : — 

" I don't think this will do, sir I" 

'"TisaU right." 

" Well, it may be, but you'll have to go back with me to 
Fredericksburg.' ' 

My locomotion had not been observed, and, with a pitiful 
limp, I remarked that it was hard for a lame man to be com- 
pelled to walk that distance ; and that, if I attempted it, I 
must necessarily defer my journey till another day. I made 
a painful effort to walk, and so far moved the compassion of 
the officer, that he offered to take the pass to the command- 
ing general, and leave me in charge of the soldier. When 
be was gone, after a little pleasant conversation, the day 
being warm, 1 proposed to my guard that we go into the 
shade of the woods. Tying his horse to a small tree, he 
threw himself down on the grass. Half an hour was spent 
in pleasant chat, and the officer did not make his appear 
ance. 

"Ugh!" said the guard stretching, "How sleepy I am, 
I didn't sleep a wink last night." 

This fact, with the inviting greensward and shade, dis- 
posed him to snatch a nap ; and soon he was oblivious to 
everything around him. It was no pleasure to me to subject 
bim to punishment or even censure on my account; but tlie 
law of self-protection necessarily overruled my regard for 
the unwatchful guard, and, carefully appropriating hia 
revolver, I unloosed and mounted his horse. Riding 
leisurely along the path a short time, I turned suddenly into 
the woods ; but the ground was rough, and the bushes almost 
impenetrable, making progress distressingly slow. As the 
8un was sinking behind the trees, having traveled half a 
dozen miles, I emerged into a clearing, where a white-haired 



S8 CTNITED STATES SECRET SERVIOK 

old man, who evidently had reached his threescore years and 
:en, was making shingles. 

With a respectful salutation, I inquired : 

" Will you tell me the shortest road to the Potomac ?" 

This Southern patriarch looked at me with surprise. I 
said again : 

" The river — the Potomac river — which way is it V* 

*' I never heard of it in my life." 

*' How long have you lived here ?'* 

"Always; was born here." 

" And don't know where the Potomac river is ?" 

*' I never heard about such a river." 

He was equally ignorant of the existence of Aquia Creek, 
01 any of the streams or places along the river. 

" Did you know that the South had seceded ?" I inquired. 

"Well, Avell I Tve heard suthing was going on, but 
]i ain't taken much interest in politics no how since Jackson's 
time. 'SpDse they are all the time getting up suthing new.' 

With a cup of water from the unsuspecting Jacksonian 
democrat, who was enjoying Cowper's lodge in the wilder- 
ness, undisturbed by the alarms of war, I rode away, to try 
the next turn in the wheel of fortune. At length a house 
was visible in the distance, and toward it I directed my 
course. 

Dismounting near it, I hitched my horse, and commenced 
observations. Two negroes only were in sight, in an out- 
house. I went to them with a plausible story, and for ten 
cents obtained some bread and milk, which broke the day's 
fast, with refreshment for the night's adventure before me. 
Darkness was setting upon the forest, and, unable to discern 
.he mire and stones ahead, I became entangled among the 
brancires, and found I must abandon my horse, and plunge 
jito the thicket alone. After wandering about bewildered 
or an hour, I unconsciously returned to the very house 1 
lad left. I decided to risk a rest here till morning, and 
vorking my body feet foremost under a haystack, until com- 
)letely hidden, fell into a sound sleep. Just before the 
lawn of the next day, I was startled from slumber, and, lis- 
ening, soon learned that rebel cavalry were in search of me, 
iud had surrounded the house. A dozen horsemen could b€ 



A BRIGHT IRISHMAN. (j\. 

freen through the lattice-work of hay, moving about in the 
darkness. From the dwelling they went to the outhouses, 
and linally came to the haystack. I prepared for the worst. 
With my head thinly covered, I could watch my foes, unseen 
by them ; while my revolver lay before me. If discovered, 
I resolved to shoot the successful man, and run for dear life 
toward the woods. Several times the cavalry rode around 
the stack ; then one of the number, dismounting, began a 
Bword examination of my lodgings. 1 could hear the thrust 
of the blade into the hay, until it grazed my coat, and 1 
grasped my six-shooter to spring ; but he passed on, saying : 

" He ain't in there, boys." 

Remounting, with his comrades, he rode off. 

AYatching them till out of sight, I crept cautiously into 
the deepening light, and started for the woods. The sun 
rose gloriously over the near horizon ; but whether to light 
me toward safety or capture, was entirely uncertain. 

Without breakfast or dinner, I hastened on, having not 
even a glimpse of a human being, and avoiding every indica- 
tion of his habitation. At two o'clock in the afternoon, 
when emerging from a clump of bushes, I came in full view 
of a man hauling timber. I could not retreat, and, changing 
the coat hanging on one arm to the other, I put my hand on 
my pocket, and stood in thinking posture. I saw that I had 
an Irishman to deal with, and not a remarkably bright sped- 
man of his race. 

With the air of one interested, 1 asked : 

" What is this timber for ?" 

"It's fur the batthery down here, in course." 

This answer settled the question of the proximity of the 
Potomac, and also apprised me that fortifications and plenty 
of rebels were not far off. I walked along a stick of timber, 
measuring it by paces, and then said : 

" Tell these men they are getting this timber four feet too 
short, will you?" 

" Yes, sur, I will sur. It's only haulin, I am, mesolf." 

" Well," I replied, leaving him, "tell them to cut it four 
feet longer, will you ? Tell them I say so." 

"I will, sur." 

Into the woods again, and, making as good time as pos' 



70 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

•fiible, I walked on two hours longer. Hunger began to 
:gnaw, and create that desperation which disregards tlie cooler 
prudence of a full stomach. Striking a small creek or ba\'ou, 
•running into the Potomac, I resolved to follow it till it de- 
cided my fortunes for the night. No sign of anything in 
Teach to appease hunger appeared, nor of a boat in which 
to get across the river. The very first sight of human 
existence was in a form to excite fear — a white tent, snugly 
pitched on the sloping point of a hill, by the water-side, and 
surrounded with bushes. 1 paused to watch for further iu- 
'timations of what was there. 

At length a soldier came up the bank with fish, and en- 
tered the tent. Soon after, with another man, he reappeared 
outside, and they sat doAvn, lighted their pipes, and chatted, 
after the fashion of good-natured Dutchmen. The imperious 
demands of hunger urged me to join them, and, advancing, 
I accosted them. It turned out that they belonged to a bat 
tery on the hill above, and had moved to the bank to catch 
fish for the officers. I told them I lived up the creek, and 
•had come down to see how things were getting on ; then in- 
quired : 

" Have you got an3'thing to eat in the tent ?" 

"We got not much here to eat." 

*' Boys, I am very hungry. I hain't had anything to eat 
since I came from home, and Fll pay you for something." 

" Veil, dat ish tifferent matter. If you pays, dat ish tlf- 
ferent matter." 

" Can't you cook some fish ?" 

" Oh, ersli, I spose we get you some fish." 

In a few minutes they set before me a supper simply of 
fish, cooked in their primitive style, and yet no luxury wag 
ever so grateful to the taste. After it was finished, I asked 
/or a pipe, and began to puff away, entirely at home ; but 
all the while revolving in my mind the chances and expedi 
ents for a final parting with my Dutch friends. Finally, my 
eye fell upon a small boat lying in the bushes below ; and 
the conviction followed the discovery, that it was my only 
hope of ci'ossing the Potomac. Learning that the fishermen 
wned it, I said to them : 

'• I want to buy that boat. What will yon take for it f 



A NIGHT OF DITFICULTIES. 71 

"I no sells dat poat," replied one. 

" I'll give you twenty dollars for it, in gold." 

"It's worth more as that to us. The Yankees ish break- 
ing up all poats on the Potomac." 

There was an end to the prospect of a purchase ; and a 
new plan must be devised. The sun sank behind the trees, 
and in the pleasant shade we smoked and talked away the 
hours. I found, in the course of conversation, that the battel y 
was not over two hundred yards from us, and the Potomac 
few rods below. 

The evening advanced, and I begged the privilege of 
sleeping in the tent, as I was too tired to think of returning 
home before morning. Permission was reluctantly granted ; 
and, spreading their blanket, they " turned in," while I con- 
tinued without, smoking, till the moon rose. I had practical 
business on hand, which excluded contemplation of the 
romantic scene — the silver light tipping and then flooding the 
hills, and creeping down to the quiet spot of anxious wake- 
fulness. For the illumination was lo aid me in my design to 
escape. I could now watch the movements of my compan- 
ions in the tent sufficiently to see when they were apparently 
asleep, depending on the ear for the further evidence of the 
desirable fact. When all was still, indicating profound 
slumber, suddenly a change of position, a grunt, and a look 
outside, would dispel the illusion. 

Toward midnight, I heard a shout : 

" Hello, there 1 you come to ped to-night ?" 

" Yes, I am coming in." 

Soon after entering the tent, I found that room for me had 
been left between the men, and the effort to get on an outer 
edge of the blanket was fruitless. 

A suspicion evidently crossed the mind of the one who 
had just spoken to me, respecting the stranger, and there wag 
a design to guard against any unpleasant results from the 
visit. 

The day's fatigue made my own inclination to sleep al- 
most irresistible ; but I watched anxiously for the favoring 
moment to leave the bed unobserved. Repeated trials found 
the distrustful soldier suflBciently wakeful to look after hia 
i^est. Overcome by the slumberous influences of fatie^ue. 



72 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

my comfortable quarters, and the "stilly night," I sank into 
a restless repose. Scarcely an hour had passed, when I sud- 
denly awoke, starting with alann lest tlie opportunity to 
escape was lost. On the contrary, I found my companions 
were thoroughly asleep, their loud breatliing the only sign 
of life. I carefully crawled from between them, till half my 
body was out of the tent. The suspicious man, with a sound 
of unrest, turned over. I remained perfectly still till he 
made another turn and stretched out his arm to see if all was 
right in the middle. I drew back to my old place, and he 
laid his hand upon me several times, before he seemed satis- 
tied that I was there. Several attempts to leave the tent 
ended in a similar failure. Daylight began to steal into the 
tent, and the night of suspense must end in some decisive 
effort to secure the boat and cross the Potomac. The soldier- 
fishermen were sleeping quite as soundly as at any time 
before, and in another moment I stood before the door watch- 
ing the effect of ray movement, Tliere was a little stir, and 
I stood mechanically poking the embers of our evening fire, 
as if looking out to see the breaking day ; but with my pistol 
in one hand ready for service. Returning it to my pocket 
muzzle down, I hastened to the bank. To my great disap- 
pointment, there were no oars in the boat. Upon making 
search among the willows, I found a short one, partially de- 
cayed. Noiselessly as possible I launched the frail bark, 
fearing each sound on the sand or in the water would bring 
my Dutch friends down the bank. In a few moments, which 
suspense made oppressively long, I floated away into the 
stream, at this point, not over thirty feet in width. Taking 
the middle of the current, I pulled off my coat, and began 
to row for life. The tide favored me, and I was congratulat- 
ing myself upon the prospect of an unmolested voyage 
wiien a shout drew my attention to the vigilant Dutchman, 
U'hose gesticulations could not be misunderstood. He 
called loudly to his bedfellow : " Meyer 1 Meyer 1 the poat 
ish gone ! the poat ish gone !" 

He seized his musket and made for the bank, not more 
than a dozen feet from me, shouting : 

" Come pack liere ! Come pack mit that poat !" 

My only answer was a more vigorous use of the oar 



CROSSING THE POTOMAC. 73 

Placing my riglit hand upon the pistol, and watching the 
soldier, I propelled the boat with my left. 

"Come pack!" he continued, following me along the 
bank. He then paused, leveled his musket, and was about 
to tire. I did not want to kill "mine host," but the law of 
self defense again demanded a sacrifice. With quick and 
Budden aim, I fired — with a cry of distress, he staggered and 
fell lifeless beside his musket. His comrade was running 
down the hill, when, seeing what had happened, he turned 
back to the tent. He soon returned with a double-barreled 
shot gun, and stole along cautiously, through the bushes, till 
within forty yards of the boat, and then fii-ed. The shot fell 
around me, in the water. Catching a glimpse of my enemy 
in the thicket, I discharged my revolver. He ran away, evi- 
dently unhurt. The reports had given the alarm, and several 
soldiers soon came in sight. An instant later, a bullet 
whistled over my shoulder. I had reached the decisive mo- 
ments of my last effort to get out of " Dixie." Again getting 
sight of the Dutchman in the bushes, I once more took de 
liberate aim and fired. He threw up one arm, gave a yell, 
and fell to the ground. In a moment he rose again, and, 
groaning, staggered away. Then two or three shots saluted 
me unceremoniously, striking and splintering the side of the 
boat. I was now at the mouth of the creek, and rapidly left 
the shore behind me. A equad of soldiers, by this time, 
stood on the brow and at the base of the hill, firing their 
muskets. The cling of the bullets in the water reminded me 
that my transit to loyal soil was not yet certain. Both hands 
were laid to the oar, and, striking the broad current of the 
Potomac, which was here four miles wide, 1 rapidly receded 
from musket range. A high wind swept the waters, and, while 
rounding a blufl', a sudden gust carried away my hat, and 
lifted my coat lying in the bow of the boat, dropping it into 
the river. But it was no time to look backward to those ar- 
ticles of apparel, floating between me and my foes, whose 
bullets still came unpleasantly near. Their shots continued 
until they fell far in the wake of my boat. The sun had 
risen above the horizon, warm and bright, while, for two 
hours and a half, I worked with a single oar, and, aided by 
the drifting tide, approached the Maryland shore. With au 



74 tJNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

inexpressible sense of relief, I heard the boat's bow toncn 
the sand. I was near Chapel Point, ten miles below the 
creek on which I embarked, and so exhausted, that with dif- 
ficulty I reached the bunk. On its green carpet, and under 
the cooling shade of its trees, I laid down to rest, leaving 
Vim boat to which I owed my deliverance to the win da and 
«v'a7es of the Potomac. 



CHAPTER III. 

NORTDERN EXPERIENCED AS CONFEDERATE AGENT. 

Hospitalities h} he way — The Report to General Scott — Operations in Baltimore— 
The Janus-facod Unioniat "X rich Development in Phila'lelphia — The Arrosts— 
Anusing Prison Scene. 

Kefreshed "by an Hour of rest sufficiently to renew my 
,^onrney toAvard Washington, I soon came to a small and 
poor habitation, in whose door stood a coarse and dirty 
femahi. I asked her for soinetliing to eat. 

"I have nothing to spare : can't give you a mouthful." 

Whether meanness, destitution, or my dilapidated ajv 
pearance were the exciting cause of her rudeness, I can not 
tell. But to my plea for a crust, or inquiries where I might 
find even a partial supply of the lost apparel., she closed 
the door in my face. I wandered on, a solitary country mock- 
ing my hunger. Toward noon a noble mansion, surrounded 
by a large plantation, arrested my eye, and on its porch an 
elderly woman sitting alone amid the rural quiet. Entering 
the gate, I approached her with a morning salutation. Slie 
returned it, with a suspicious glance at my unusual appear- 
ance. I inquired : 

" Can I get a drink of water here, madam ?" 

"Certainly," calling a colored girl to bring it. 

The roar of the cannon at Mattliias Point, where the 
rebels were practicing with the battery, could be distinctly 
heard. I said : 

" We are getting ready for the Yankees there pretty fast." 

" Yes." 

*'They won't be able to sail np and down the river much 
more " 

" No, that they won't." 

The peculiar animation with which she made this replj 

75 



76 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

B]it>w*vJ me that T liad not mistaken lior nliaractHT. \Yliile 1 
was driiikiug, she inquired from what ])lace I liad come. 

I told her from Richmond, to s«^e what the Yankees were 
doing, and report to Jeff. Davis and Beauregard. Slie tlien 
Inquired liow I lost my hat and coat. 1 told her tliey were 
blown ofT while crossing the river, and that I had just left 
the shore, with nothing tc t.at since the night before. 

"Our dinner will be ready soon," she said, "and 1 shall 
be very glad to have you stay and dine with us." 

The invitation was acce])ted, acd extra j)reparation made 
for me. An excellent meal, many ir.quiries from my hostess 
concerning the progress of the "holy cause," and predic- 
tions of its speedy triumph followed. When I was ready to 
leave, she supplied me with a second-hand hat and coat, and, 
with a cordial good-bye, expressed the hope that I should be 
prospered in my good work, and do much for the independ- 
ence of the South. 

AVith no incidents of remarkable interest, I passed 
through the counties of Maryland, reaching Washington 
ifter an absence of three eventful weeks. 

I at once reported to General Scott, giving him all the in- 
formation desired respecting Manassas, Fredericksburg, and 
Richmond, the resources and plans of the rebel chiefs, and 
the blockade running of the Potomac. 

He read, with a smile, the letters from the Confederate 
Government, when I expressed my design to use them in 
tracking northern traitors in their treasonable alliance with 
the South. Expressing his gratification, he recommended 
my name to Mr. Cameron for permanent service as a secret 
agent of the War Department. 

I commenced, without delay, ferreting out these sympa- 
thizers with secession. Two brothers named A., one of them 
wifhin the rebel lines, were engaged in sui)plying munitions 
of war to the Confederacy. 

The apparently loyal man who lived in Baltimore had a 
contract to furnish the regiment of Col. , then on the Poto- 
mac, with forage. He owned a small vessel on the river, 
whose captain shared with him the profits of their secret 
treachery. Filling the hold with small-arms, ammunition, 
and other light m-aieriel of war, they were covered with hay 



THE VISIT TO BALTIMORE. 77 

and oats for the Union troops. Upon reaching Mattliiaa 
Point, the captain signaled A., who was watching for hira, 
and the contraband goods were hmded, when the vessel pro- 
ceeded to Washington with its light freight of forage. This 
p.hrewd operation had been carried on a considerable time, 
with no suspicion attaching to the Baltimore brother from 
his loyal neighbors, of the illegitimate trafhc. 

I proceeded to Barnnm's Hotel in Baltimore, and dis- 
patched a note to A., informing him that Mr. Munson, from 
Kichmond, would like to see him, and designating a time for 
our interview. A. promptly called. 

He entered the room, when the following conversation 
passed between us. 

"This is Mr. A., I presume." 

"Yes, sir." 

" I am glad to see you, sir. Take a seat." 

A. sat down. 

" Mr. A., I am a man of very few words. I came here 
on business, and I want to get through with it as soon 
as I can conveniently. I am an agent of the Confederate 
Government. I understand that you are willing to help us, 
and have been doing so. I want to purchase goods, and I 
have the gold to pay for them." 

A., who was a short, impulsive man, with a German ac- 
cent, was thrown entirely off his guard. 

" Fm your man. I'm just the person you ought to have 
come to. I help the South, and I make a little money out 
of the North. I'll show you how easy it is." 

From his coat pocket he drew an envelope, containing 
two contracts — one of them to send goods to Richmond, and 
the other to furnish a Union regiment with certain su])pli('8. 
His eye twinkled with delight, while he watched my perusal 
of the documents. The delivery of the goods was a subject 
of considerable discussion, and A. was very particular iu 
his inquiries about the pay. I replied : — 

"Mr. A., 1 do not come here to make money out of my 
government. 1 came here purely from patriotic motives. 
While I am willing to pay you a fair percentage on any 
goods you may buy, and a liberal allowance for your services, 
I ol course can not submit to any extortion, or to any exor 



78 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

bitant charges. I am working for tlie interests of my people. 
I, myself, do not want to make a cent out of this business." 

"That is all right — it is honorable and patriotic. But it 
is not safe to buy the goods here, because men in this trade 
have been detected, and the police watch us all the time. 
We can do better in Philadelphia, where 1 have fiienda to 
help us." 

^Ve agreed to start in the 4:20 train the same afternoon for 
Philadelphia. While standing in the depot waiting for the 
train, talking with A., I saw Senator McDougal, whom I had 
known in California, and George Wilkes, coming towaid 
me. I tried in vain to avoid their recognition, but McDougal, 
taking my arm, exclaimed : 

"Why, how d'ye do. Baker?" 

With a look of strange surprise, I said : 

"You've got the advantage of me, sir. I don't know 
you." 

"Well, that's a good joke," replied McDougal, laughing. 

"It may be, but I don't know you, sir. My name is 
Munson." 

Suddenly McDougal seemed to fathom the mystery suffi- 
ciently to relieve me of farther embarrassment, by remark- 
ing, as he turned away : 

"Well, upon my soul, I believe I am mistaken. Excuse 
me, sir; you look very much lil^e a friend of mine." The 
incident made but slight if any impression upon the mind of 
A., for he made no allusion to it during the ride to Philadel- 
phia. 

I stopped at the American Hotel, when A. left me to find 
B., who was connected with a large hardware house in 
the city, and bring him to the hotel. I^Ieanwhile, by a cir- 
cuitous route, I reached the headquarters of the police and 
had an interview with Ben. Franklin, the chief of the depart- 
ment. Acquainting him thoroughly with the business in 
hand, his assistance was secured to make the arrests at the 
proper time. E.Q suggested that it might be well to have 
the conference with my disloyal friends. To this I assent- 
ed, and, accompanying me to the hotel, he was concealed 
under the bed. Soon after A. and B. entered — the lat ter a 
kali, gaunt, shrewd, and taciturn man. A. opened the con- 



FRANKLm UNDER THE BED. 79 

7erbation, and talked on, wliile B. stroked his whiskers and 
said nothing. I repeated the assurance that my object was to 
serve the South and not speculation. I urged the risk of 
delay in completing my arrangements, as a reason for prompt 
action. In conclusion, I remarked to B. : "I learn from Mr. 
A. that you are friendly to our people and willing to assist 
lis." 

" Yes, sir, my sympathies are with the South, and possi- 
bly I may be able to aid you." 

B. desired to know the kind of goods that were needed, 
d.nd repeated the assurance that Philadelphia was a safer 
place than Baltimore or New York for the purchase of them. 
I then produced my letters, which B. read carefully and 
with evident satisfaction ; but preferred to defer any further 
negotiations for the present. As he rose to leave, he requested 
me to call at his place of business that afternoon. A. re- 
mained and suggested another gentleman, who would be 
glad to take hold of the business — a Mr. C, of Commerce 
Street. I gratefully accepted the proposal, and we left the 
room, releasing Franklin from his close confinement under 
the bed. We found C. in his office, but disinclined to talk. 
He inquired where I stopped, and I returned to the hotel. 
Shortly after, C. made his appearance and commenced con- 
versation in a very confidential way. He went for the South, 
but did not like A., who, he affirmed, was simply a money- 
making Jew. I told him I knew nothing of A., but sup- 
posed him to be a reliable friend of our cause. The result 
of the interview was a plan to keep A. interested in the 
transaction, but ignorant of its most important particulars. 
In the afternoon I called upon Mr. B., whose confidence was 
now unreserved, and stated to him my conversation with C. 
Lie then said : 

"Now, Mr. Munson, you and I are actuated by the same 
motives in this thing. These men, A. and C, are engaged in 
it simply for the percentage they can make. I think you 
had better get rid of them." 

I replied, that this could not well be done, but that 1 
might withhold any further information than was absolutely 
necessary. 

The conversation closed with an invitation to dine with 



80 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVIOE. 

hira that afternoon. I expressed a fear that it would give 
offense to A., if I should go alone. 

"Well," said B., "You had better bring him along." 

I went with A., at the appointed hour, aud sat down to a 
sumptuous dinner. Wine was abundant, and the health of 
Davis, Beauregard, and other leading rebels was not forgot- 
ten. B. became exhilarated, and his secession songs were 
sung so loudly that we were obliged to hint that possibly ha 
might be heard in the streets. The party broke up at a late 
hour in fine spirits. I made arrangements with one of the 
banks by which I would appear to have plenty of money at 
my command. I went to a tinner' s and had several canvas 
bags full of pieces of zinc cut the size of gold coin, and these 
were deposited in the vaiUts. I began to make my purchases. 
I bought two hundred thousand cannon-primers, two hun- 
dred Colt's revolvers, a million friction caps, and other simi- 
lar goods. I also ascertained that these parties were carry 
ing on systematically contraband trade with the South. 
Franklin, Chief of Police, was informed of my operations, 
and we concluded it was time to begin making arrests. On 
a subsequent day, having an invitation to dine with A. at the 
house of B., I told Franklin to watch us when we came 
away, and if, when we were opposite the City Hall, I raised 
my hand, he was to arrest them — otherwise to make no de- 
monstration. As we stepped from the house into a street 
car, Franklin got on to the platform. When the designated 
point was reached, A. got off first, and I immediately gave 
the signal. Franklin, lajdug his hand upon A.'s shoulder, 
said : 

"I want you, sir." 

I was making off across the ^itreet, when Franklin 
shouted: 

"Here, sir, I want you, too." 

I, of course, returned, looking somewhat alarmed. 

Said Franklin : 

"You will have to come with me, gentlemen, I have a 
little private business with you." 

A. and myself were soon in the station-house together. 
Franklin, turning to me, remarked : 

" I've been looking after you, sir, for some time. Yoxu 



TWO ARRESTS, 81 

name is Mungon, isn't it? You came here from tlie South to 
buy goods, didn't you? You were very bold about it ; a 
little too bold, as you have just discovered. I've been 
looking after you, too, A. You're a Baltimorean, ain't you ? 
You came here to get rebel supplies, too, didn't you? I 
shall have to search you both." 

We were searched, and, of course, the two contracts to 
supply both the rebel and Union troops were found in A.' a 
possession. 

"Take this man to the Sixth Precinct station-house, and 
lock him up by himself," said Franklin to an ofBcer, "and 
then come back after this man," pointing to me. 

" Now, Ben," I said, when A. had gone, " we must gob- 
ble up those other two men the best way we can, as soon aa 
possible." 

"All right," said Franklin. 

I had an appointment to meet C. the next morning, to ox 
amine some caps which he had received from New York. 
AVhen we met according to this arrangement, C. inquired 
for A. 

I replied : 

" He got a dispatch that his brother was in Baltimore, 
and he has gone on to see him. He will be back to-mor 
row." 

The caps were satisfactory, but C. stated that he must go 
to New York, to get some telegraphic material, which he 
v/as to furnish — some small wires to wind the battery, and 
asked me if I could not advance money. 

" I haven't any with me now, but, if you will meet me at 
the corner of Third and Market Streets, at half-past one, I 
can let you have some, and you will be in time then to get 
the two o'clock train for New York." 

I left and went to Franklin's office, requesting him to ar- 
rest us when we met on the corner. C. and myself arrived 
a little before the time, and 1 made some preliminary conver- 
sation on that account. At the moment he was anticipating 
the transfer of the funds, Franklin came up, and suspended 
operations by saying : 

" I am the chief of police here, and I want you two gen 
Uemen." 



82 UNITED STATES SECRET SERYIOE. 

C. langhed, and said : 
*' I guess you don't know wlio I am." 
"Oh, yes, I do, and I know this other man, too. He's a 
blockade runner, from Richmond, and you're not much 
better." 

AVe went to a station-honse, and Franklin apparently 
searched me, while another officer attended to C. He was 
then taken to the Sixth Precinct station-house, and locked in 
a cell by himself. 

B. only remained to be arrested. But he was the most 
important one of the number, and Marshal Milwood, of tliat 
district, was to assist in his arrest. I called on Mr. B., who 
Baid : 

" I think we have both got abont tired of A. and C, and 
T think you had better meet me to-morrow, and bring fliem 
with you, so that we can settle up with them, pay them their 
commission, and tell them that you have bought all you re- 
quire. Then we can go into New York, to-morrow, in the two 
o'clock train, and make arrangements for all the goods you 
want, without the heavy commission you are obliged to pay 
them." 

I promised to come to his office, at twelve o'clock, the 
next day. Franklin and Marshal Milwood were duly in- 
formed of this appointment. 

Mr. B.'s store was in a long, narrow building, and in 
the rear were two or three small offices, with desks for 
writing. I was with Afr. B. in one of these. 

After the usual salutations, B. asked : 

"Where are A. and C?" 

"They are running about town, somewhere. I didn't 
want to bring them here. I will»sit down and write them a 
letter, stating that my business is nearly done in Philadel- 
phia, and that I am about to leave." 

Mr. B. furnished me with paper, and I took a seat at one 
of the desks, to write. The time passed on, and I became 
restless, for Franklin and Milwood should already have ar- 
rived. 

If they should fail me, I thought I should be in a very 
disagreeable dilemma, having promised to go with B. to 
New York 



THE LAST ARREST OF THE TRIO. 83 

T was thus meditating, wlien I heard two men coming 
down the store from the front. In a moment more Marshal 
Mllwood — a large, strong man, with a gold-headed caue and 
a gold badge — entered the next office, and said : 

"Is this Mr. B.?" 

"That is my name, sir," responded R 

" I am the tjnited States marshal of this district, and I ar 
rest you, sir." 

B. turned pale. 

Meanwhile, Franklin, who had also entered, turned and 
said : 

"Here's another man that we want. This is that man 
Munson." 

I tore off the paper I had written, and commenced rolling 
it up, as though secretly. Taking my black silk hat in my 
hand, I quietly put the paper under the leather lining inside, 
and placed the hat on my head. B. was watching me, and 
conjectured that I had written something in the letter which 
could criminate them. If he had any doubt before that I was 
what I represented myself to be, this action would have re- 
moved his suspicions. 

" I gupss you are mistaken, gentlemen," said I. 

"Oh, no, not at all," said Franklin ; "you can't fool us. 
You are the man that came here from the South, to buy 
goods. Let me see the letter you were writing." 

" I haven t written any letter," said I. 

"Oh, nont? of that!" said Franklin, knocking my hat 
from my head as roughly as though lie had been in earnest. 
" You thought f didu'tsee that little sleight-of-hand perform- 
ance, didn't yon?" he continued, taking the paper from the 
hat. lie read it, and handed it to Milwood 

B was walking up and down, stroking his beard, having 
regained his comoosure. 

" We want both of you," said Mllwood. " Mr. Marshal," 
said B., "I think you are entirely too fast in ttiio matter. I 
am an old citizen here, well known, and a partner in thia 
house. This gentleman is from the South, it is true. He in- 
quired me out and visited me, but I cannot believe he is 
here for any improper purpose. So far as I am concerned 
I shall be able to show who and what I am very easily." 



84 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

B, was searched, and quite important papers for evidence 
were found on iiim. He was then sent to the Sixth Precinct 
station-house. 

That evi>ning Marshal Milwood, Ben. Franklin, and I, 
went down to see the prisoners, I keeping carefully out of 
their siirh*:. 

"Let us see what they will say to each other,*" said one 
of the party. An officer took A. into C.'s room. 

" My G— d ! what are you doing here?" exclaimed A. 

"I)(Miig here?" answered C, angrily. " I'm arrested.'' 

•' Why, when were you arrested ?" 

" I was standing on the corner of Market and Third Streets 
with Munson, and Ben. P'ranklin took us both." 

"My G — d, I was arrested witli Munson," said A. 

" You can't play tliat on me. You're a Jew, and it's 

you wlio have brouglit all this trouble on me." 

A. was enraged at this, and conversation followed of the 
rougliest sort. 

AV'lien tile excitement subsided, B. was put into the same 
room with them, Milwood, Franklin, and myself, still out of 
Bight, listening. 

"My G — d, B., you arrested too?" said A. 

B. stroked his whiskers and looked sternly. 

"I understand it all," said he. "You are two scoun- 
drels, and one or the other of you either betrayed this matter 
or let it out by your cursed carelessness. I believe A,, that 
that you came from Baltimore with Munson to beat him out 
of his money and get him arrested." 

They abused each other for nearly an hour, and A. 
wanted to fight the rest. Each declared that he was arrested 
with Munson, and not one would believe a word the othei 
said. 

"Come, you're making too much noise," said the officer, 
finally. "We'll have to separate you again." 

Early *i the morning they were taken to a prison out of 
town, and in the afternoor Milwood and Franklin went with 
me to visit them again. 1 was put into a cell, and A. brought 
and locked in with me. 

" Mein Got, Munson, what a troubles this is!" said A., 
bis German accent more noticeable in his dejection. " Meiu 



THE PEISON SCENE. 85 

Gut, when we got out of that cars and that man Franklin 
came up, I thought I should have died. And B. and C. are 
arrested too." 

" Well, we're all in the same boat," said I ; " I suppose 
they'll hang me." 

In a short time A. was told to come out and get his din- 
ner, and B. was locked in with me; I putting on the aspect 
of chief mourner over our fate. 

" Well, I'm sorry for you, Munson," said B. " I suppose 
my friends will have me out this afternoon or to-morrow, and 
if I can do anything for you I shall be glad to. I never 
liked that Jew, and I am convinced that this is all his 
doing." 

After a while B. was removed, and C. put in the cell. He 
came in with a knowing leer on his face. He had suspected 
the truth. 

"I'm glad to see you, Munson," said he; "that was a 
splendid thing we played on them fellows, wasn't it? Oh, 
that's the way to catch them!" 

" What do you mean?" said I. 

" Why, I knew who you were all the time. You couldn't 
fool me; I wanted to help you catch the scoundrels." 

" Who do you think I am?" 

" You are a detective from Washington. I knew you well 
enough. I was just going up to Marshal Milwood, to tell him 
what we had done." 

" C, it is too late to tell that story now. It won't do." 

A statement of the cases was forwarded to Washington 
and A., B. and C. were sent to Fort Warren. A., probably 
from the excitement and mortih^ation attending his arrest 
and imprisonment, became insane, and was sent to Black 
well's Island, and afterward to the asylum near Baltimore, 
where he still remains. Before A. left, in a fit of passion, ho 
struck C. in the face, breaking his nose. B. and C. were re- 
leased on bail for trial. 

A leading New York daily paper contained the very correct 
account of the case as quoted below : — 

" The most important arrests that have been made during 
the rebellion came to light in this city to-day. Most oi 



86 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

those previously incarcerated in Fort Lafayette had been 
devoting their influences to treason ; but the parties here 
arrested were contributing arms and munitions of war 
daily, bribing officers of the United States Array to further 
tlieir designs, and had organized a system of treason so skill- 
ful and so complete, that only after the utmost vigilance, 
and when the detectives had tested all means to entrap and 
decoy them, the full proofs came to light. 

"The names of these men are J. M. H., F. W., and W. 
G. — H. is a Baltimore Israelite, whose business is the making 
of military trimmings, epaulettes, sword-handles, &'}. lie 
had obtained a hay contract from the United States Govern- 
ment, to more effectually conceal his plans, and Avas armed 
with numerous letters from Federal functionaries, that he 
intended to produce in emergencies. This man conducted 
contraband trade from Baltimore until General Dix and the 
provost-marshal showed him up. He was first observed 
in this wise : — A package, containing several thousand fi-ic- 
tion tubes and cannon-primers, had been left at Adams's 
Kxpress office in this city, addressed to a well-knoAvn linn 
n Baltimore. Being threatened with arrest, the latter fijin 
confessed that they were the agents of J. M. 11., and it was 
further educed that the same was shipped under a fictitious 
name by W. G. 

"Detective Benjamin Franklin, a sagacious and fertile 
Philadelphia officer, now determined to seduce II. to this 
city ; for which purpose he resorted to certain ingenious 
means, not now ripe for publication. Convinced that heavy 
orders awaited him hei-e, and that Philadelphia was iess 
under espionage than Baltimore, II. came on. A cele- 
brated Lincoln detective now took part in the matter, and 
tlie means by which they inveigled all the parties consti- 
tute the richest item in the history of criminal surveillance 
The Israelite was so played upon that he is not yet aware 
of the enemies who ruined him, and when the matter was 
ripe the whole party were taken up, their goods and papers 
seized, and they are now in Fort Lafayette, having gone 
forward on Sunday night. 

"W. G. is a razor and cutlery importer, whose estab- 
lishment is situated at Fifth and Commerce Streets. Ee 



THE HAY OONTKACT. «7 

has never taken the oath of allegiance, being an Klnglislimau. 
His game was to pretend himself a Federal agent until the 
worst came, when he was to claim the privileges of a British 
subject. In his establishment were found surgical instru- 
ments, caps, pistols, bowie-knives, &c., ])acked and di- 
rected to go southward. The property amounts to $1(),0()(? 
in value. 

" F. W. is a Virginian, formerly in partnership wilh 
C. B. C, 205 North Water Street, lie has always been 
a rabid traitor, and his wife has been six times to Rich- 
mond and back within as many weeks, taking ea(;h time 
trunks heavily filled with weapons and goods contraband. 
She passed our lines by bribing an officer of the army, who 
obtained passes for the purpose. Said officer lias been ar 
rested, and will probably be shot. At W.'s house an 
extensive correspondence with parses in the South was 
found, and his complicity with the rebels was proved by 
his papers, even in the absence of any other evidence. 
Among other articles seized, there was a pair of epau- 
lettes, mai'ked with the name of Captain R., an officer 
in the rebel army. There were also a photographic group 
of worthies, of which \V. was the center. A gentleman, 
who is familiar with the likenesses, says that they repro 
pent Captain R., Captain J. A. C, Lieutenant C. D. F., 
of Georgia, and B., mayor of Savannah, all decided 
rebels. 

"The hay contract in which H. was engaged was to have 
been worked to good advantage Two vessels, one loaded 
with bales of hay, and the other with bales containing war 
munitions, were to have been dispatched up the Potomac, 
and at Aquia Creek, at a given signal, the bogus hay would 
have been run under the Rebel batteries. All this wap 
proved by seized letters, and also the fact that the late cap 
tures of Federal sloops and small craft by the Rebels, off 
the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers, were the work of 
iesign and not of accident, the same containing contraband 
natters. New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore mer- 
chants are thus implicated, and the proofs are too plain 
and startling to be set aside. These three men were leagued 
together, and among their several correspondence were lat* 



88 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

letters from Rebel contractors, acknowledging the receipt of 
pistols and side-arms. 

"After being arrested, they were shifted from station 
houses to prison, being one night taken out of town to 
stave off judicial decisions, writs of habeas corpus, &e. 
Finally, on Sunday, Marshals Jenkins and Steele drove 
them to the New York boat — W. defiant, G. cowed and 
sullen, and the Israelite trembling like a leaf. 

'* A part of the correspondence implicating tliem was 
obtained from the wife of a lieutenant in the Federal aniiy, 
who had been rather delicately implicated with N. 11. ^V., 
now in Fort Lafayette. She has been arrested in Newark, 
New Jersey, where she resides. 

" The Government decoy who assisted detective Frank- 
lin in these labors is said to be a daring Californian, full 
of nerve and fertile in expedients, who has been twice in 
Charleston and thrice in Richmond since the battle of Bull 
Run. Ilis manner of making the arrest cannot now be dis- 
closed, although it rivals in interest and danger the exploit^ 
of ^he best Bow Street officers." 



CHAPTER IV. 

THKASON AND TRAITORS AT THE NORTH. 

Baltimore — The Detectiye Service and the Arrest of the Maryland Legi»^«are — The 
Refugee and the Spy — The Pursuit and the Capture — Traitors at Niagara Falls- 
Acquaintance with them — The Arrest — In Fort Lafayette. 

Of all places north of Mason and Dixon's line, Baltimore 
had the pre-eminence in the early development of treason, 
and its defiant audacity. It is doubtful whether any other 
city furnished as largely and promptly for the rebel army the 
Bons of aristocratic families. Here originated, practically, 
armed resistance to the Government. 

The blood of the Massachusetts Sixth was the first martyr- 
blood of the war, and it stained the pavements of Baltimore. 
From that city was sent the first expedition to destroy a rail- 
road — that to Gunpowder River. 

Whatever Baltimore may have done since to redeem her 
name from treason's darkest hue, at the beginning of the civU 
f onflict it was a hot-bed of crime, and its manifold products 
served well the garner of all its harvest — Richmond. 

To make the most of the information obtained in Rich- 
mond, and of my letters from the authorities, I sought the 
acquaintance of leading secessionists, and was soon on excel- 
lent terms with them ; indeed, I was admitted into their secret 
councils. This was more readily done at this time, when any 
representative of the South was cordially welcomed to thcj 
traitorous circles of that city. And my commission from tho 
Confederate government gave me distinction among th-j 
friends of the revolt. 

So determined and persistent were the people in theii 
opposition to the Government, that a well-devised and 
deeply-laid plan was nearly consummated to carry the Statf 
out of the Union and to link its destinies with the South 

8£ 



•90 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

'This wats to be accomplished through the secret assembling 
of the Legislature of Maryland. So dark, disloyal, and un- 
known to the public had been the meetings of this Legisla- 
ture, that none (or very few) of the most prominent rebels 
were apprised of its movements. As a confidential and 
trusted friend of the authorities at Richmond, there could be 
no objection to revealing to me the plot. 

At many of the private meetings which I was invited to 
attend, I was shocked and amazed at the cool and deliberate ' 
manner in which they declared their intentions to meet at 
Frederick, pass the ordinance of secession, and by it make 
and proclaim Maryland a Confederate State. These facts, as 
fast as tliey were obtained, were forwarded to Washington. 

The rebel legislators arrived in Frederick, in accordance 
with a previous understanding, at different times, and from 
various directions, to avoid suspicion in loyal minds as to 
•their real object. This was about the middle of September, 
186L Tliose tliat did reach Frederick were quietly arrested, 
and others en route, or just ready to leave Baltimore to meet 
•tlieir fellow-conspirators, were taken with so little demonstra- 
tion, scarcely any one of the number knew of the arrest of 
•his fellow-traitor. 

The prompt action taken by the Government and its im- 
portance, I believe, have never been appreciated by the 
people of the loyal State? 

It is startling to contemplate for a moment the result 
which must have followed the vote of this body of treason- 
able men. 

It would have been taken at once as the signal for the 
immediate organization of a large rebel force in the State; 
afid, instead of Washington having been tiie capital of the 
Union in the civil war, it would have been the capital of the 
Confederacy. 

Instead of the Potomac river being the picket line be- 
tween the hostile armies, that line would probably have l)eeD 
somewhere on the borders of Pennsylvania. 

Whatever may be the estimate put upon the military or 
civil fitatus of Benjamin F. Butler, to his energy, courage^ and 
executive power in an emergency, the country is indebted 
for the position which Maryland occupied during the war 



TTTE REFUGEE AND THE FEMALE SPY. 91 

Had lie faltered on his arrival in the State, or even hesitated 
a moment, Maryland would have been a Confederate State. 
Had he done nothing more, the country would have owed 
General Butler a lasting debt of gratitude. 

September 28, 18C1, while stoi)ping at French's Hotel, in 
New York, I made the acquaintance of Mr. C, the book- 
keeper. Having had occasion to make inquiries of the char- 
acter of his guests, I was compelled to disclose my ofTice. 

AV^hile conversing with him on one occasion about the 
hardships of the loyal people of the South, he called my at- 
tention to a man stopping there, w^ho said he was a refugee 
from Mobile, and wished me to hear his story of wrongs. 

I consented, and was introduced to an apparently respect- 
able and honest mechanic, who stated that he was a North- 
ern man, and had been South for some time, as locomotive 
engineer. 

When the rebellion began, he inadvertently declared his 
sentiments, and the vigilance committee ordered him to go 
Norih. 

He owned a small house, worth a few thousand dollars, 
and wished to stay long enough to sell it and take his family 
with him. But he was required to start at once, leaving his 
family behind. 

An intimation to him by Mr. C. that I might inlluence the 
autliorities at Washington and get a pass, induced him to 
apply to me for assistance. 

I took a deep interest in the case, gave him my address in 
Washington, and asked him to call upon me there. Subse- 
quently, when the incident had passed from my mind, one 
day my refugee friend came rushing into my apartment at 
Washington, and excitedly said : 

'•I have just met B. on the avenue, a young man from 
Montgomery, Alabama, where 1 was once employed, ele 
gantly diessed in female attire, and accompanied by a man 
whom I do not know. I believe he is a spy." 

" Why did you not follow him ?" 

" 1 was so much excited, I did not think of it." 

My informant then gave me some account of B., when 1 
requested him to go with one of my assistants tnrough the 
principal streets in search of the mysterious strangers. 



92 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

The search was continued for six days. 

One morning he came with the liaste of great excitement 
Into ray quarters again, saying : 

*' Well, I met B. and his friend just now, and followed 
them to the National Hotel." 

I went there with my informant, procured two tickets for 
dinner, and we were soon seated at the table, where 1 found 
the couple. They were registered in the book as " Dr. McC. 
and wife, Harper's Ferry, Va." I did not lose sight of them 
again. 

On Saturday they left Washington. I followed them to 
Philadelphia. They stopped at the Continental Hotel, regis- 
tering their names "Dr. McC. and wife, Washington, D. C." 
Under their names I put my own as "John Brown." After 
some further disclosures, which we shall not here detail, on 
Sunday night they started for the West. 

I was dressed in the garb of a ftii-mer, and managed with- 
out suspicion to sit near them and hear much of their con- 
versation ; all of which proved clearly their treasonable 
character. 

Monday night we reached the Burnett House, Cincinnati, 
Ohio. I saw them safely domiciled in the fourth story, and 
waited until after one o'clock at night, when I knocked at 
the door. It was cautiously opened, when I said : 

" Doctor, I want to see you privately a moment." 

His wife was sitting with her feet on the mantel-piec«, 
smoking a cigar, and her dress unhooked. 

I said, "Doctor, I have followed you from Washington; 
I know the character of this j^oung man in female dress." 

At this moment I noticed a revolver on the mantel piece, 
and remarked : 

" This might be dangerous in the hands of an ill-minded 
person ; I guess I will take possession of it." 

The doctor was boisterous and threatening. I told him I 
did not wish to make him notorious there, and alarm the 
house ; that I knew all about them, and resistance would not 
help the matter. McC. commenced pulling on his boots, 
when I noticed the glitter of the handle of a bowie-knife 
which was thrust into a pocket in the side of his boot I 
added, reaching out my hand : 



ARREST OF REBEL AGENTS. 93 

"Doctor, I tliink I will take tliis also ; you might hurt 
yourself.'' 

With a slight resistance on his part, I secured it Tlie 
search of his baggage revealed, drawn on tissue paper, elab- 
orately prepared plans of the fortifications and number of 
troops in and around Washington, with a large number of 
letters of great importance to the Government. 

All of these were put into the trunks, again locked up, 
and with the keys in my possession, at four o'clock a.m., 
I was on my way to Washington with the travelers and their 
precious freight. They were safely quartered in the Old 
Capitol prison, and the maps, &c., delivered to Mr. Seward. 

As an evidence that the great rebellion had long been 
premeditated by the prominent politicians of the South, it is 
only necessary to observe how completely they seemed to 
have the machinery of their treason in operation. For, 
before the roar of the cannon around Sumter had ceased 
to echo in the bay of Charleston, the secret emissaries of the 
cause had received their instructions, and each knew dis- 
tinctly the part he was to play in the great drama. 

From Floyd to the lowest traitor, the certainty of success, 
and the matured plans, had so emboldened them, that but 
little discretion or concealment was deemed important. And 
while Breckinridge was daring the North in Congress to 
oppose the right of the South to secede, its traitorous agents 
were boasting in the streets of Washington what they in- 
tended to do. 

With a view to the arrest of these rebel agents, OctobfT 
18, 1861, I went to Canada, as the subjoined letter will show: 

WAsniNOTON, October 25, 1861. 
Hon. Skcrktart of State: 

Dear Sir — I returned from Canada this morning. I found at the Cliftow 
riouse, Niagara Falls, a large number of prominent secessionists, who bav» 
just returned from Europe. 

1 would like an order for the arrest and conveyance to Fort Lafajette of 
S. W. A. and O. B. C, the first-named being a member of the so-called Con- 
ft'derate Congress at this time. These traitors are waiting an opportunitj to go 
South. They have very important correspondence in tJ eir possession, some 
fcf which I have seen. I am confident I shall succeed in inducing them to 
»isit our side of the river, which of course will be the only opportunity for 
arresting them. Toars, very respectfully, 

L. a Baxkb. 



94 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Baving obtained the desired order from the Secretary oi 
State, I immediately started for Niagara Falls. At Roches- 
ter I employed a colored servant, for I had determined to 
play the part of some prominent rebel from the South, and 
wrote three letters, all addressed to the name at the Clifton 
House which I had assumed. 

One of these letters was mailed in New York, one in St. 
Louis, and the third in Washington. On my arrival at the 
Clifton House, where my secession friends alluded to were 
stopping, I registered my assumed name, and put on the airs 
of a Southern gentleman. I secured two of the most spacious 
rooms in the house. 

The obliging landlord brought to me my letters, and in 
view of the honor conferred upon hira he was more than 
ordinarily civil. 

He remarked that he had often heard my name mentioned 
by his Southern friends. Upon my adding that I desired to 
live in perfect quiet, he said that it would be impossible for 
one so distinguished to do this ; especially would my ac- 
quaintance be sought by fellow-exiles from the " sunn;^ 
South." 

I was allowed to pass that evening in seclusion ; but early 
the next morning a servant handed me the card of S. AV. 
Ashley, with his compliments, and expressing a desire to 
eee me. 

I graciously granted Mr. A.'s request, and told the ser 
vant to show him up. 

I may here remark that the chances or risks so often taken 
of being detected in the assumed name by some acquaintance 
of the real person, sometimes do prove fatal to the plan ; but 
even a defeat by the discovery of the real object by those 
I am seeking to entrap is only the failure of that particu- 
lar plot, leaving a hundred others open for farther experi 
oient. 

Fortune favored me, however, in this case, as Mr. A. had 
no personal acquaintance with the traitor whose name I had 
assumed. 

Our aims and purposes apparently being alike, we were 
soon on the most familiar terms. We talked over the pros- 
pect of glorious successes by our gallant troops, and laughed 



PERILS OF "SLSPENSION BRIDGE." 97 

at the absurdity of the attempt of the Yankees to resist t he 
valor of the chivalric Sontli. 

Mr. A., having preceded me several days in the visil 
to the Falls, had become acquainted with tlie interesting 
localities, and politely invited me to accompany him on a 
tour of observation. I gladly accepted, and spent a day 
among the wonders of the great cataract. 

The following morning he called again, to repeat the kind 
attention. 

At my suggestion, we decided to visit that marvelous 
monument of engineering skill, the Suspension Bridge. 1 
was enthusiastic in praise of the designer, and tried to ex- 
plain how the first wires were thrown over the chasm ; and, 
to have a farther inspection, proposed that we should buy 
tickets to cross, intimating to my friend that we had better 
not go over, but simply advance a sufficient distance to make 
an examination of the structure. 

I entertained my friend with remarks npon the scenery, 
the cables, &c. ; and, to go into the scientitic observation of 
the different parts of the bridge, I went over the national line 
a hundred feet perhaps, toward the American shore. While 
deeply interested in conversation, we were suddenly accosted 
by a mild; gentlemanly man, who said to my friend, Mr. A.: 

" Your name is A., sir? 1 have an order from the Sec 
retary of State for your arrest. In your admiration of this 
structure, I think you hive ventured a little too far. You 
will please accompany me with your friend." 

I replied: "Sir, certainly you can not have an order for 
my arrest ; if so, will you produce it ? " 

He then took from his pocket the order for the arrest of 
Philip Herbert, my assumed name. 

I suggested to Mr. A. that we should accompany the 
officer, quite sure that, upon the proper explanation, we 
should be at once released. 

Our protestations were of no avail. He said: "I have 
been watching this bridge for you three weeks; quite sure 
you could not resist the temptation to examine it. You 
must go with me." We started immediately for New York. 

Mr. A. had been quite thoughtful and sombre on the 
waj to Kochester, and there remarked to me that his mind 



98 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICK. 

was not perfectly clear in regard to the part I was playini^ , 
he had his suspicions that lie liad mistaken his man, I'liilip 
Herbert, it will be recollected, while in Congress, killed a 
waiter in Willard's Hotel, and after the date of this attair 
was himself killed in the war while colonel of a regiment. 

\W were taken from New York to Fort Lafayette, where 
1 remaiiie*! an hour and my less fortunate friend eight moutlis 



CBAPTER V. 

A K^'IGCT OF TUE GOLDEN SQUARE. 

P H F., aHas Carlisle Murray, a Knight of the Golden Square— The Arroat— 
Relefcjo — Papers of F. examined — Secretary Seward's Order for a Second ArreBt 
—On tht< Track— The Rural Retreat — Mr. Carlisle Murray a Reformer and 
Lover — The Official Writ — The Astonished Landlord and Landlady— A Scene- 
Be port 

It was daring the montli of November, 1861, that the ex- 
istence of certain treasonable organizations, having for their 
object the overthrow of the Government, began to attract 
attention. October 17, 1861, a communication was received 
by the Hon. Secretary of State, purporting to give the liis- 
tory of a secret society in Texas, known as Kniglits of the 
Golden Circle. The particular objects of this organization 
were not, however, fully explained. A few days later, an- 
other letter was received at the State Department, giving 
similar information. On the 24th of October, Benjamin 
Franklin, Chief of the Philadelphia Police, arrested, on a 
telegraphic dispatch, a one-armed man, named Carlisle Mur- 
.-ay, and confined him in the station-house of that city. On 
searching his person, mysterious papers were found, appar- 
ently containing the constitution and by-laws of the Knights 
of the Gold(m Square. Franklin sent a dispatch to me, in- 
fonning me of the arrest. 

I came to Philadelphia, compared the documents with the 
original records of the Knights of the Golden Circle in the 
State Department, and found them to agree — the two societies 
were clt'arly essentially one in character. In a further con- 
versation with Murray, he claimed to be an intimate friend 
of a well-known merchant-prince of Boston, for whom he 
acted as agent. At this stage of the war so little was knowu 
of the Knights of the Golden Circle, no great importance was 
attached to Murray's papers, and he was released. 

99 



100 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Before this, however, I recognized him as a somewhat 
distinguished individual. His name was P. H. F., who 
figured as Fillibuster Walker's minister from Nicaragua in 
1848. A subsequent examination of the papers in Murray's 
possession, taken in connection with those before referred 
to, satisfied me that he was really a member of the Knightg 
of the Golden Circle. 

Clothed with the authority conferred by the following 
order, I entered upon the search after F. : — 

Department or 8tat«, I 
'Waaulnoton, Hwem.ber 2, 136L I 

To L. C. Bakkr, Esq., Washington, D. C: — 

Yoo will please arrest P. II. F., alias Carlisle Murray, and convey him to 
Fort Warren, Boston, Massachusetts. Examine his i)erson and baggage, and 
*eud all papers found in his possession to this Department. 
I am, sir, your obedient servant, 
(Signed) William H. Seward, 

Secretary of State. 

He had been released some weeks before his real charac- 
ter was discovered. To find him then seemed a hopeless 
task. By intercepted letters postmarked Branford, Conn., 
I was soon on his track. Assuming another name, he had 
selected this quiet town as his temporary residence. His 
assumed name there I did not know ; consequently must 
devise some plan which would lead to the knowledge 
of his locality. Accompanied by Franklin, I proceeded ta 
Branford. To avoid suspicion on the part of the citizens, it 
was necessary that Mr. Franklin and myself should appear 
under an assumed character. We represented ourselves to 
be gun manufacturers in behalf of the Government, seeking 
for an eligible spot and building in which to carry forward 
our business. An old machine shop, not then used, answered 
my purpose. 

When it was known that two intelligent men were about 
establishing business for the loyal cause, the good people of 
course were very anxious to serve us. The only hotel in 
Branford was a quiet inn, kept by a venerable couple. Here 
we found ourselves, strangers to all and in pursuit of a 
stranger, with no tangible clew to his person or place of 
abode. To get on good terms with " mine host" and hostess 



THE ASTONISHED LANDLADY. 101 

il vras only necessary to state prospective plans, and that 
their house would be ray headquarters. The old man talked 
freely of the facilities for my contemplated business, and of 
the moral and social condition of the people ; inviting 
Franklin and myself to dine with them. Up to this time we 
had made no inquiry for the object of our visit, trusting to 
circumstances for farther developments. We soon sat down 
to an excellent dinner. While at the table, the old lady in- 
quired of her husband, "Is Mr. Jackson coming down to 
dinner? You had bettor ask him." This question satisfied 
me that we had a distinguished guest. Who was that Mr. 
Jackson ? I immediately rose, giving Franklin the cue, and, 
to the astonishment of the honest pair presiding at the table, 
rushed up stairs to search the house. Hurrying from room 
to room, at length I found the strange boarder occupying the 
only bedroom and parlor in the house. I said, extending 
m J hand : 

' How are you, F?" 

Ht arose, and, politely taking my hand, said : 
" \ou have the advantage of me." 

I replied : " I believe I have ; for I have a warrant for 
your arrest ; and I don't think you have one for me." 

" Oh, yes," he replied ; " I recollect you now. You are 
from California?" 

And in the coolest and most off-hand manner said : 
" Why, I am glad to see anybody from California. Here 
is some good brandy. Well, how are ray friends, McDougal 
andTillfordl" 

He then added : " Why, Baker, this is a good joke. 
How did you find out where I was ? I thought I had got 
beyond the reach of detectives. Now, the people here think 
me a very good man. I have lectured on temperance and 
religion ; have a class in the Sabbath-school ; and am court 
ing one of the prettiest girls in Connecticut. This is too 
bad." 

By this time the landlord and his wife had entered the 
room, having learned from Franklin French's real character, 
when she said : 

"Why, Mr. Jackson, how could you be so wicked] 
These gentlemen say you are a rebel spy. To think that a 



102 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

•secessionist has even slept under our roof. I'll have to air 
the bed and purify the whole house." 

Then, looking at her hands and crying bitterly, she 
iadded: 

" And I have washed your clothes I May the Lord forgive 
■you, for I can't." 

The scene was a mixture of the pathetic and comic rarely 
witnessed. The unsuspecting landlord, who had nearly 
reached his threescore and ten years, stood trembling with 
■the palsy, and with a most W'Oebegone expression, while his 
more demonstrative companion seemed beyond the reach of 
-a comforting word. Then followed a hasty packing up of 
French's effects, and sending them down stairs, when he paid 
his weekly bill, and said to the landlady: 

"I will return and explain this whole thing to you." 

In less time than it has taken to tell the story the news 
had spread through the village. The pastor whose pulpit 
French had occupied, the postmaster and blacksmith were 
:at the hotel. But one person could be found who objected 
ito the proceedings, and he was a newly arrived M.D. from 
Texas, who at once declared his purpose to resist Ihe order 
•of arrest, and called upon the people to assist in rescuing the 
prisoner. The display of a six-shooter immediately quieted 
his rebellious spirit. F. was taken to New Haven, thence 
to Fort Warren. After a brief incarceration he was paroled 
by Secretary Seward ; and so the matter ended. The disloyal 
order of the Knights of the Golden Circle was so vaguely 
understood that it was thought, after all, harmless to the 
Government. 

The subjoined report to the Secretary of State will shed 
more light upon the character and career of F., and illustrate 
further the necessity of a detective police w^hen traitors in 
arms and in the disguise of loyal citizens are plotting with 
unscrupulous hate against the Government: 

Washington, Novemher 17, 186U 

To the Hon. W. 11. Seward:— 

Dear Sir — On the 2d of November I received an order from the State 
Department to arrest snd convey to Fort Warren one P. H. F., alias Carlisle 
Murray. From an intercepted letter found in the Philadelphia post-office I 
had reason to believe that F. was at or near Branford, Connecticut. On 



A KNIGHT OF THE GOLDEN SQUAEE. 103 

t'le fifth instant I took officer Ben. Franklin and proceeded to tlie above 
named place. After some delay I succeeded in finding F. at a small hotel, 
wliere he had heen stopping for some months. I immediately placed hiru 
tinier arrest, searched his person and effects, and found a number of letters, 
most of which seem to be a correspomlence between him (F.) and a dis- 
tinguished mercliant, relating to the sale of certain steamboats to the United 
States Government belonging to this m.erchant. F. had represented him- 
self to the confiding gentleman as one Carlisle Murray, who had been 
driven out of the South because of his Union sentiments. He also exhibited 
what purported to be genuine letters from tlie Hon. Mr. Etheridge, Andrew 
Johnson, Parson Brownlow and others, authorizing him to collect moneys 
from loyal people of the North, for the support of Parson Brownlow's paper 
(tlie KnoxviUe Whig). I have ascertained that he did collect, from the mer- 
chant already mentioned and others, about four thousand dollars. A careful 
peiusal of the correspondence between these parties shows that the latter 
did make an engagement with Mr. F. to sell two steamers to our Govern- 
ment, and that he was to receive a certain commission for the same. During 
the time he was trying to sell or negotiate for the steamboats he visited the 
merchant at his country residence, was invited to spend the Sabbath and 
dine with him (which invitation F. accepted), receiving letters of introduction 
to prominent and wealthy citizens of Boston, New York, Brooklyn and 
other places. There can be no doubt but that F. is one of the most accom- 
plished villians in America; nor that the merchant did bona fide enter hito 
tt contract or agreement with F. to sell certain steamboats to the United 
States; nor that his patron was informed of the true character of F. long 
before he took any steps for liis arrest. The correspondence and all the 
facts in the case go to show: First, that F., by forged letters and misrepre- 
sentations, deceived his patron; second, that the merchant, finding F. a ver^ 
ehrewd, intelligent man, did employ him to sell the steamers; and third, that 
when he learned the real character of F., the authorities were not immediately 
notified by him ; and when said merchant ascertained that F. could not, oi 
would not, make a sale of the boats, he telegraphed to the authorities in 
Philadelphia to arrest Carlisle Murray for swindling. These are, in my opinion, 
about the facts relating to the matter, as far as the merchant is concerned. 

Among the papers found in F.'s possession was a manuscript purporting 
to be the constitution and by-laws of a secret order or association, known 
as the Knights of the Golden Square. This document is copied almost ver- 
batim from the constitution and by-laws of the Knights of the Golden Circle, 
an order that originated in Texas some two years since, the object of which 
was, the overthrow of the United States Government. By an ingenious word' 
ing of these papers — that is, whenever the name and objects of the order 
occur — the terms have been used, evidently intending to convey the impres- 
sion that it was a Union order, designed to be secret in its nature, but the 
object of which was to be the maintenance of the cause of the North. 

I am satisfied that F. is a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle; 
that he has copied their constitution and by-laws; that the papers found in 
his possession have been altered or worded differently from the original, so 



104 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

that, if Le sliould at any time be suspected or arrested, tliese papers could not 
be used as evidence against Lira. All the letters and papers found in F.'» 
possession are forwarded to your Department. 

Yours, very truly, 

L. 0. Baker. 

Ta the early stages of tlie war, before any police organ 
ization of the Government had been perfected or set in 
operation, and before blockade restrictions had been es- 
tablished, the whole North was ilooded by a class of soutli 
ern spies, correspondents, and incendiaries. That the spy- 
ing and detective business was not confined to those wlio 
had made it a profession wonld seem to be indicated by 
tlie following letter. The writer of this precious document 
was an Episcopalian minister from the South, who had been 
employed by tlie rebel government to visit the North, with 
a view to ascertain the movements then on foot toward tlie 
organization of the anny. It was written to Bishop Gen- 
eral P. The "Joe" spoken of, was a sergeant in one 
of the Federal regiments, with whom an arrangement had 
been made by the writer to convey through the lines to 
the rebels any documents that might be forwarded to him 
for that purpose. "Joe" was ferreted out and arrested, 
and made a confession of the whole scheme which is re- 
ferred to in the communication ; to wit, the organization of 
a force in Philadelpliia, New Jersey, and Delaware, to seize 
the Arsenal, Navy Yard, and public property at Philadel- 
phia. The "friend Bob" spoken of was Bob B. (ex-senatoj 
B.), of Delaware. AVhen the ringleaders of this conspiracy 
discovered that I was on their track, they immediately 
abandoned the scheme, or transferred their field of opera- 
tions to the West, where an organization was perfected, 
but broken up by the arrest of Dr. D. at Indianapolis, 
In 1864. 

Philadklphia, December 28, 1661. 
WoBTHT Sib — Various good and sufficient reasons have detained me north 
of this point several days beyond the time specified in your instructions. First 
of these, I, in a room in Boston, was expatiating, as usual, upon the horrors and 
tin of slavery, as a matter of course, and misrepresenting, in a blundering way, 
Its reai condition- One of tlie chfti)8 took up the cudgel in good earnest. He 
bad sailed South, been in Southern ports, knew Southern people well, they 
were kind to the nigger, &c., Ac. 1 invited talk, solicited conversation antf 



A SPICr CLERICAL EPISTLE. ]05 

Information — gaii.ed his confidence, finding how freely be let himself out. 1 
Lad several interviews, and finally threw otF the mask, and told my real object 
was to gain information, in which he aided me to tlie extent of his ntmoat 
sbility. IIo is a man about sixty years of age, bnt strong and active ; and 
tltliough a native-born New Englander, he hates, with a perfect ferociousness, 
tlienaine of New England. Several reasons conspire to jiroduce this. First, 
be has been swindled by a pious deacon, his brother-in-law, who induced hia 
wife to forsake him ; then he has mingled, to a great extent, with our peoi>l« 
South, and cherishes a fond recollection of many of our citizens. Oh, how h© 
swears at the Yankees. I soon ascertained that I might place implicit relianc* 
upon his word. My respect aud confidence were confirmed by the opiniont 
entertained and freely expressed here by all classes. They represent him as a 
bold, outspoken secessionist. Being a man of tried and sterling bravery, tli« 
people know well that it would never do to trifle with him; and, added to 
this, he is worth some twenty or twenty-five thousand dollars; being quite 
judiciously invested, enables him to realize an income of at least three or 
four thousand a year, at least three-fourths of which he gives away — not in 
the form of common charities altogether, but gifts in the shape of loans to 
deserving beginners. In this way his popularity among a great many is solid, 
not only with those whom he has benefited, but oihers, whose respect for 
such unostentatious nobleness is challenged and secured. 

Well, he is the man we need. He will go into the scheme with heart and 
eonl. His plan is, receive orders for a stanch, swift sea-steamer from a South 
American power, have her quietly and exjieditiously built, manned with the 
right kind of a crew, give out that he is going with her, let her take in a 
cargo of just such articles as we need at present — boots, shoes, itc. — sail, and 
enter the first Southern port that looks clear. I would here remark, that hia 
[tian is to have three just such steamers under way at the same time. Either 
tills, or he will buy — each, however, from dillereiit points. Marine signal 
No. 8 (eight) of the Confederate States of America will be used upon entrance 
of our port. This, you remember, is the plan agreed upon to deceive th» 
blockade fleet. 

The day after my arrival in this place I was accosted by a venerable old 
beggar, who stood at a corner soliciting alms. His touching tone of voice, 
coupled with his meek yet respectful ap|>earance, although is rags, attracted 
and interested me. I gave him a dime, and asked him carelessly where he 
lived, with no intention, however, of paying him a visit, but hardly knowing 
wliat to say, and feeling I ought to say something. 

Ho re[)lied, " You aint got any Jeames River tobacky, 1 reckon, to give it 
fellow a chaw." 

Imagine my surprise when my beggar friend proved to be our old Nebo. 
Cute as ever, he plies hia artful game. He tells me that he was in Washing- 
ton last week ; says old is drunk one-half his time. and ar« 

aying up big piles of United States money both for themselves and friends, 

kiough is the sharpest in the way of money. That old stupid fool, , 

is so-npletely under the thumb of , ditto. 

Kdbo says that, unsuspectingly, he has been permitted to enter both th« 



106 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

civil ^fld military department in "Washington and Alexandria. As his means 
of coramunicatinoj with head-quarters is so very expeditious and complete, I 
deem it both impolitic and unnecessary to detail, in this communication, the 
vast amount of useful information which he is enabled to pick up. One thing 
I must mention, IJe says that in less than three months we will have Phila- 
delphia and Baltimore, lie says that as soon as the advance is made upon 
(he .ines at W., a party here, now numbering over five thousand, in this city, 
together with thrice that number in the adjoining counties, will seize the 
Navy Yard, Arsenal, &c. His experience tallies with mine, that ia, that New 
Jersey is sound to the back-bone for us: yes, far more so than Delaware, 
although a Southern State. 

I am afraid to advise yon to take that trip, for, notwithstanding the cleilcal 
out of my co;it, I am watched very closely, as are all strangers, by the Govern- 
ment sjiies. The peoi)le are heartily sick and tired of this war, but are afraid to 

otter such sentiments, it being treason, or so ruled by that drunken thief, . 

Nebo says that whenever needs money he sends ahead some startling 

telegraph communications, manufactured, as a matter of course. Soon the 
streets of Philadelphia and New York ring with the cry of extras: " Glorious 
news (in big letters). Fifty thousand secessionists routed by a Union force 
of only one hundred and fifty. We took thirty thousand prisoners, two hun- 
dred and seventy-five thousand stand of arms, one thousand four hundred 
cannon, and an immense stock of ammunition. The rebel general shot in tlie 
month by a Buck-tail, wliich would have proved fatal, but just as the ball hit 
him he spit out a quid of tobacco, which turned the ball aside. It, however, 
glanced from the quid and killed a colonel and eleven privates. Our loss 
(Union) — two killed, three wounded, one missing," 

Such, my dear general, is the windy stuff which uses to draw money 

out of the Wall Street kings. Verily, this is a humbuggy age. To my mind 
It is past my comprehension how the two sections can ever meet together, 
even in ordinary intercourse. You can form no conception of the bitter feel- 
ing of hostility entertained by all classes here. An instance or two will 
Butfice. An interesting pious family, whose savory discourse did my soul much 
good in its growth in grace, &c., Ac, whose hospitality I often enjoyed, one 
day last week, in making a call, I found them much excited. Upon inijuiring 
the cause, Aliss Annie informed me that they had just learned that the bonnet- 
maker was a vile secessionist. I straightened my eye-brows, turned up my 
wliites, and made an appropriate pious ejaculation, and inquired iiow she had 
n.ade tiie discovery. By accident, sir. Well, to sift the testimony from tjeii 

verl-iage, Airs. , a poor widow, who makes a living for herself and 

chiltlrcn in the bonnet business, had been so imprudent as to say to my friend, 
'' Well. I liope if they do liberate the negroes, they will make some j)rovisioD 
for i/ieir support, for they will no longer have their owners to look to." Now, 
f<^r this vile secession (III), my pious friends are determined not to pay their 
bonnet-bills until the war is over. Don't you admire their spunk? The other 
instance is this : — A pious elder in one of the Presbyterian churches hare has 
a daughter married to a Southern elder, who is in the Southern army ; and so 
bitter is his feeling, that neither daughter, child, uoi hasband ia ever alluded 



SECESSION PICTDrtES OF THE ^ORTH. 107 

to, even [inl bi.s prayers. Indeed, my dour sir, the spirit of the wolf, the 
hyeua, ay, rattlesnake, and all vicious animals, are let loose in the hearts of 
this people. There is no language sufficiently strong to describe the malignity 
of their feelings. Ages hence will this feeling burn. I thought some of our 
Hotspurs went far in their expressions of hatred and contempt, but it don't 
begin to touch bottom with Philadelphians. But with all this, I understand 
that we liave a goodly heritage in this city and its vicinity. Old Nebo tells 
ine that there is now in process of completion a scheme to be inaugurated 
soon upon a grand scale. It contemplates the seizure of Philadelphia. He 
sajs there is over three millions of dollars invested. He could not make me 
ai-.iuainted witli the particulars. Tiiey are culled the " llegulators." He sajs 
that several prominent military men have it [in] charge. It embraces New 
Jersey and Delaware, I find, however, I am repeating what I have already 
written in this letter. 

Dr. 's church, during the week, is turned into a tailor shop. The 

Doctor is a strong coercionist in the pulj)it; in the parlor he is a secessionist, 

or, I should say, an apologist for that vile heresy, I)r. , ditto. Dr. , 

ditto, and many others, who were converted during the days of terror last 
A[)ril, when our friend Bob escaped the halter in Philadelphia. Thousands 
here entertain earnest and anxious desires for peace, but dare not utter their 
thoughts even to their nearest kin. In my clerical capacity I say, that this 
people is given over not only to believe a lie, but lies. The truth is too tame 
and commoni)lace. They are contldeut that ten of their men can beat and put 
to rout one hundred of the South. I then ask them why their Army of the 
Potomac, which outnumbers the South, don't move, and crush Beauregard. 
They say, " Oh, that is the fault of politicians." As an Englishman, some 
avoid and wheedle me. Your obedient servant, 

TuoMAS, the D. D. 

I will be in Cleveland ten days from time first noted. 

The following is a copy from a letter which accompaniea 
the former, iu similar handwriting : — 

PHii.ADBLPniA, Deeember 2T, 1861. 
Dkar Phil — Joe tells me that you are about Sin sin naughty, as he draw is 
it out. I detained this to say a word about the M. and G. difficulty; but yon 
see the papers — all bosh. Send word by this, if you choose, that it will eiid 
in kmok^— a flash in tlie pan. You can read and remember as much of the 
inulosed as you can. Be sure to note the tigures, as they mark the name of 
the Sea Dog. Burn the letter unless you can safely carry, and then get in 
your liole and skeet for Dixie. It ought to have gone before, but 1 was far 
away when F. was here, and did not see him. Oh, how these Nortlieru 
papers lie about us. Joe is a sergeant in a company of one of the regimente 
here — will start for Washington soon. If he gets on picket duty he will com- 
municate. Direct your letters to Rev. , D. D. (be sure to put the D, D.\ 

of Bath, England. Good-by, and Q. B. Y. 

Ton. 



CnATTER VI. 

DISLOYALTY AMONG THE POSTMASTBBa 

A MjBterj — The Result of Cabinet Meetings in Waahington known in Richnio->4— 
The Detectives learn the Reasna — A Visit to Lower Maryland — Amusing dv<6a«< 
— The Mysterious Box — The Reports — A Rebel Letter. 

It was a surprising fact during the first six or eight 
months after the war began, that tlie result of every Cabinet 
meeting at Washington was reported in Richmond withiu 
twenty-four hours after it was held. The secret was, that 
every postmaster in Lower Maryland, comprising the coun- 
ties of St. Charles, St. George, and St. Mary's, with three 
exceptions, were disloyal. It had been taken for granted 
that the State was true to the Government, while rebel emis- 
saries were constantly conveying information from "Washing- 
ton to the post-offices along the Potomac, from which it was 
transmitted to Fredericksburg by blockade-runners and 
ripies, and thence telegraphed to Richmond. By this arrang;)- 
ment, uninterrupted and unrestrained communication was 
kept open between the rebels North and South until Novem- 
ber 20, 1861, when I decided, if possible, to break up the 
treasonable correspondence. Accordingly, the SecTetary of 
War directed that three companies, of one hundred men each, 
from the Third Indiana Cavalry, then in General Hooker's 
division at Budd's Ferry, be detached, and report to me foi 
the purpose of visiting and, if necessary, permanently occu 
pying Lower Maryland. 

The first post-office upon which I called was at Chaptico, 
a small village at the head of a bay of the Potomac, bearing 
the same name, and about sixty miles from Washington. 1 
reached the village late one afternoon, when an amusing 
incident occurred, illustrating the ignorance in the country 
generally, more profound, perhaps, in some portions of it 

108 



THE MYSTERIOUS BOX. 109 

respecting military affairs, resulting from the peaceful pur- 
euits of the people during a long period of declining martial 
spirit and demonstrations. 

Tbe first military seen in Chaptico was my advent with 
three hundred of " Uncle Sam's boys," which naturally cre- 
ated intense excitement among this rural people. 

My force was composed principally of Germans, tv ho be- 
came brave soldiers subsequently in the western battle- 
fields. They were addicted, of course, to the use of intoxi- 
cating drinks ; hence it was necessary to encamp apart from 
places where liquors were sold. I entered the town with my 
orderly, to notify all vendors of strong drink to close their 
bars, and under no circumstances to sell to the soldiers under 
my command. 

In the evening, to my surprise, when passing one of the 
drinking-houses, I found it full of troops who, with the land- 
lord, were having a jolly time over their potations. 

I immediately stepped in and inquired of the host : 

"Did I not give you an order not to sell liquor to my 
men?" 

" Why, Colonel," he said, " these ain't no soldiers ; they 
are officers. They have got swords on," 

Officers generally wearing swords, the cavalrymen thna 
armed deceived the benighted dealer in poor whisky and 
beer. He was sure that he was honored with men quite 
above common soldiering. 

I proceeded to the post-'^ffice, and found the postmastei 
sick and all the family in about the same plight, excepting a 
bright little girl, twelve years of age. 

1 rapped at the door, when she raised the window and 
said: 

" Father told me I must not let any of the Yankee sol- 
diers in." 

T replied : "I am not a Yankee soldier, but an agent of 
the Post-office Department." 

I was then admitted ; and asked where the office was 
kept. She pointed to a box of pigeon holes. While exam- 
ining it, [ accidentally observed a rough pine box with iron 
hasp and hinges and a United States mail lock. It was par- 
titioned through the center, with a hole for letters in each 



110 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

division. Over one part was " Southern Letters ;" over lh«' 
other, "Northern Letters." 

I said : "What is this box for ?" 

She inno<'-ent]y answered, pointing to the inscriptions : 

" Why, the h:'tters put in that hole (tlie Southern) go to 
Richmond ; and those in the other go to Washington." 

The postmaster, who was in bed, overhearing her, spoke 
somewhat excitedly : 

" No, that ain't so ; why do you tell the gentleman such 
a story?" 

I answered : "I guess the girl tells the truth." 

Taking the box, which, upon examination, was found to 
contain letters from rebels on the way to the Confederacy, 
and those whose hearts, if not their faces, were toward rebel- 
dom, I placed it in the Post-office Department at Washing- 
ton as a curiosity, where it stiU remains. 

At L., the largest village in all that part of Lower Mary- 
land, another amusing incident occurred. It had long been 
the residence of aristocratic families, A weekly newspaper 
was published there — a paper Avliich was pre-eminent in fan- 
ning the fires of rebellion tliroughout that region. 

Arriving within two miles of the town at evening, I en 
camped in a grove of pines. With a captain, sergeant, and 
two orderlies I rode into the village, and found the people 
Lad heard of our arrival. Tli.' principal men of the place 
waited upon me and prott-sied in the most violent manner 
against Yankee troops disturbing their peace ; for they were 
"State-rights people, who only wished to be let alone." 
They made threats of personal violence if my soldiers were 
brought into Leonardtown. 

1 replied: "I am here under orders of the Secretary of 
War, on a peaceful investigation, and not as charged, to steal 
your slaves, to burn j'our houses and barns, or to molest 
Oie inhabitants. I have money to pay for forage and ration's 
If you wiU sell them ; if not, shall take them." 

I3y this time the editor of the paper iiad become bois 
terous in his condemnation of the Government and its 
officers. I quietly directed a guard to be placed arouni hia 
printing-office. Selecting from my command Jud£;e L , of 



A SUDDEN con\t:ksion. Ill 

Cleveland, Ohio, an officer avIio had some experience as an 
editor, I directed hira to write an article for tlie paper, in 
which the rebel editor was made to recant his secession 
heresy and decKare for tlie Union, advising all his sub- 
scribers to do the same. The compositors were compelled 
to set it np, and then the pressmen reluctantly struck olf the 
paper. The subscription book was consulted, and to es,ch 
name a copy of the paper was mailed. The excitement and 
indignation which folloAved the distribution of the suddenly 
loyal sheet, and the discovery of the serious joke, made one 
of the most ludicrous incidents in my otlicial experience. 
The further results of this expedition are presented in the 
subjoined note and reports : 

WAflHiNOTON, Xovemher 25, 1861. 

Brigadier-General IIooker, Commanding at Rudd's Ferry: 

Dear Sir — The expedition under mj comTnand to tlie lower coast of 
Maryland has proved successful. We captured fuur mounted traitors and one 
rebel spy. Mr. Seward is much gratified at the promptness with wliich you 
responded to the orders given to me. Also obtained many valuable letters 
and documents, from which imjiortant results will follow. To Captain 
Keister and Lieutenant Lemon, I am under many obligations; I found them 
very prompt and ready to act at all times. Tlio men under their command 
conducted themselves with tlie greatest |)ropriety. A detachment of sixteen 
men, as a guard, accompanied me by sleauK-r via Baltimore to this city. 1 
return them to their quarters to-day. Allow me to return you my thanks for 
your extreme kindness to me during my short stay at your headquarters. 

Yours, truly, 

L. 0. Bakeb. 

Washington, November 2T, 1861. 

To tlie Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of Slate: 

Dear Sir — In compliance with orders issued from your Department, 
nnder date of November 18th, I repaired to the heaibjuarters of Brigadier- 
General Hooker, at or near Budd's Ferry, and was pronqitly furnished with 
one hundred men from the Third Indiana Cavalry, under command of Caj'tain 
Keister. The ooject of the expedition was to arrest parties suspected of 
rendering aid to Virginia rebels, to discover the channel through which con 
traband correspondence was being carried on, and, if necessary, to take into 
custody any persona found in arms against the United States Government. 
On my arrival at Port Tobacco, the headquarters of Colonel Graham's regi- 
ment, I found the inhabitants complaining bitterly at their alleged ill-treat- 
ment, and depredations committed by the soldiers under his command. In 
justice to Colonel G., however, I found, on inquiring, that the inhabitants 



112 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

had Leen the first aggressors. There are residing at this place bat fOai 
or five Union men — the balance either being sympathizers with secessionists, 
or open and avowed aiders and abettors of treason. Tlie postmaster at thii 
place is secretly doing all in his power to further the interests of the Con- 
federacy. Eight miles from the above-named locality is a small town, known 
as Allen's Fresh. There are bat two Union men at this place. I found 
•B tl'.9 jOiS*-olRce here five letters, addressed to fictitious names; on ojiening 
them, I discovered that they contained sealed letters, addressed to well known 
tecefsionists in Virginia. The postmaster was one of those who assisted and 
contributed to organize and equip Confederate soldiers now in Virginia. At the 
Newport post-office, some twv) miles from Allen's Fresh, I found a package 
of thirty-four letters, post-irarked "Newport P.O., Maryland," all ready to 
be forwarded to diflPerent localities at the North, On examining these letters, 
I found that they were all written in Virginia, and had all been d'-opped into 
the office by one person. At Chaptico, a place of about two or three hundred 
inhabitants, located at the head of a small inlet opening into the Potomac, 
I found but four Union men, the traitors at this point having threatened to 
hang and burn the property of any man who dares to avow Union sentiments. 
At this point, there has been carried on for months a regular communication 
with Virginia. The postmaster here openly declares himself a traitor; I 
should have placed him under arrest, but found him confined in his bed with 
chills and fever, besides having a large family depending on him for their 
daily support. I next stopped at Leonardtown. This is the largest and by 
far the most prosperous village in Lower Maryland. I do not consider it safe 
to say that there is one Union man in the town or vicinity, although many 
declare themselves State Rights Men, which is but a milder term for secession- 
ists. At this place has been enlisted, equipped, and conveyed to Virginia, a 
very large number of men for the Confederate army. But very few hesitate 
to declare openly their secession sentiments; I think this is attributable 
almost wholly to the publication of a bitter and uncompromising secession 
paper, published in this place. I found in the post-office a large number of 
letters going to and coming from Virginia. The postmaster, a Mr. Yates, 
declared himself to me a good Union man; I, however, afterward obtained 
the most undenial le proof of his disloyalty to the Government and sympa- 
thy with the rebels. I think that heonardtown should be at once placed 
under martial law, and a provost-marshal ap])ointed, in order that the few 
Union men residing there may have some kind of protection against these 
traitots. From Leonardtown I went to (rreat Mills, a distance of twelve mli«6 
Tbare are but few inhabitants residing directly on the road, the populatio* 
being mostly on the Potomac and Pawtuxent rivers. Daily steamboat com 
munication from Baltimore to Millstone Landing (a point on the Pawtuxent 
river, near its mout) has, in my opinion, made this the most important pnin; 
In Lower Maryland That yon may more readily understand with what 
facilities corresj^ndence and goods of all de8crii)tion8 have and are being 
transported into Virginit by this route, I annex a map of the country. The 
distance from Millstone Landing, on the Pawtuxent, to Redmond's Landing, 
»t the head f*f St. Mary's river (four ir.'les from the Potomac), is but eight 



REBELS IN SOUTIIEKN MARYLAND. 113 

on-\es the road being es.ellent .t all seasons of the year. There are bnt foor 
o fvo Unon xnen in this vicinity ; most of those ^.ho have declared thom- 
Belves as such have either been driven from the county, or dare not avow 
hernservesTnft.vor of the Government. A number are now res.dmg m the 
nrhb rhood who hold commissions in the rebel army. I is however 
Lidin^y difficult to arrest them; the approach of any considerable number 
of roops s a signal for these cheats to leave their houses, or secrete h m- 
IveTind it can only be accomplished by the -st shrewd f^f'^^f 
plans. I made the following arrests, viz. : E. IL J W M. A., EM .., and 
R L. IL These men were a part of an organization known as the Lower 
Maryland Vigilance Committee. M-irv's 

Mr E II. J. resides at wliat is known as the Old Factory, bt. Marj i 
County i; engaged in merchandising, fanning, &c. TM.en the prcoent diffi 
clies broke out, J. went to Ualtimore, and was there dunng the r.ot of 
AprU 1 th On his return hence, he brought not less than four hundred 
fta ds of arms from Baltimore, which afterward were sent to V.rgmia. He 
I^' hid wagons for hauling contraband goods from the Potomac to the Pa- 
ui^e.^ dudng the greater part of the summer and fall Re made las house 
t elldquarters of secession spies, passing to and from Virginia; has enlisted 
emi ped and forwarded a large number of men for the Confederacy; has 
notified Union men to leave the county ; and has, on all occasions, cursed and 

abused the Government. aovArn- 

D W M A. resides about one mile from J., openly defies the Govern 
ment'was a co-operator with J. in all his treasonable operations ; is said 
To be the secretary of the Vigilance Committee, and stated to me, after hi 
arrest, tilt he would yet kill a Yankee for every day that he was imprisoned 

'^eV^^^^I: a Confederate spy. He was indicted by the Baltimore grand 
lury for 'engaging in the riot of the 19lh of April, but made h..« escape into 
vTr'inia, and, up to the time of his arrest, had kept out of the way. borne 
.nemorandums of importance were found in his possession. 

The arrest of B. L. II. will prove of the greatest importance to the 

Government H. resided at the landing on the Patu.ent R.ver a.d 

,„ade bis hotel the rendezvous for all the secessionists in the county At hi 

bou.e were held all their meetings and deliberations. He had two teams 

on tantly running from the landing to the Potomac River I ^-e the mo 

posire proof th.^, the night before his arrest, he took three hundred Colt 

Lvulvers to Virginia; I found two large boxes buried in the sand about two 

hundred yards from his house, from which he ^^^^ ^'^^ T, IT' w![ld 

it formed me that she had frequently cautioned her husband that he would 

yet be caught and imprisoned by the Government, but he disregarded her 

'advice and told her that he was determined to make money in soine way 

Some etters were found in his possession of the strongest secession charact^^^ 

also Confederate envelopes, stamps, circulars, &c. U. was the master spir.t, 

and the worst man in the county. ^nnntv 

Much difficulty was experienced in making these arrests The county 

b, wUd and unsettled; a complete set of signals had been established among 



114 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

the inhabitants, and notice of our arrival had been given to the entire country 
making it necessary to move only at night-time. I endeavored, stating tltt, 
as soon as tlie troops left, tlieir building would be burned, and they thcm- 
Bolves assassinated or hung by the Committee. 

I am much indebted for my success to Brigadier-General Hooker, for hi« 
promptness in furnishing men ; to Captain Keister, for the energy, patience, 
and promptness with which he aided me at all times; to A. G. Lawrence, 
Esq., wlio accompanied me from this city, for the very efficient aid and 
advice ho gave at all times. Some small-arms, two kegs of rille powder, 
secession flags, and other articles were seized. 

Since my return, I have had some conversation with the Postmaster- 
General in relation to mail matters. When I go down again, he lias autho- 
rized me to displace all disloyal postmasters, and if safe and reliable Union 
men can be found, to recommend them for appointment ; if such can not be 
found, discontinue the offices altogether. This course, I have no doubt, will 
induce them to better regard and appreciate the favors tiiey have and are 
still receiving from the Government. In order that the channels of commu- 
nication with the South may be effectually broken up, and protection 
afforded to Union men in Charles and St. Mary's counties, I woulil most 
respectfully recommend that a military force be sent tliere at once. Two or 
three hundred men could subsist tliemselves and horses, witliout being com- 
pelled to transport forage. Should you deem it proper or advisable to send 
such a force, I would gladly go with them, and render all the assistance in 
my power. Asking pardon for this my lengthy communication, 
1 remain, dear Sir, most respectfully, 

Your obedient servant, 

L. 0. Bakeb. 



WAsnufGTON, January 14, ISM 

To the Honorable Postmaster-General: — 

Dear Sir — At your request, I herewith send report of the condition in 
which I found the several post-offices located in Charles and St. Mary's 
counties, Maryland. At Port Tobacco, numerous and repeated complaints 
have been forwarded to me by detective agents of the Government, concerning 
the loyalty of the postmaster at this place. Charges of the most grave and 
aggravated character have been made by the few Union men residing in thig 
vicinity. On investigation, I found that he has, on three different ocrasiona, 
received packages of letters, post-marked at Baltimore, and forwarded same 
to Virginia. On or about the 15th October, a Confederate spy mailed at this 
ofTce one hundred and forty letters, which he (the spy) brought direct from 
Virginia. This was done with the full knowledge and consent of the post- 
Ciaster. In addition to this, he has aided and advised a number of young 
men in the neighborhood to cross the river and join the Confederate array. 

Allon'a Fresh. — The postmaster at this place seldom if ever attends per- 
sonally to the duties of the office, but leaves the business in the hands of a 
y tuug boy, some twelve or fourteen years old. I found in this office niie 



MARYLAND POSTMASTERS. 115 

■ncalled-for letters, having been addressed to fictitious names . on opening 
them, I found they were addressed to individuals in tlie so-called Confederate 
States. The postmaster in this place is disloyal and can not be trusted. 

Newport. — In this office, I found a package of fifty-two letters, written 
by parties now residing in the rebel States, addressed to persons in Baltimore. 
The postmaster is a first-class rebel. In my opinion, this office could be 
discontinued, it being located but two miles from Allen's Fresh. 

Charlotte's Hall. — But one contraband letter was found in this oflice. The 
postmaster assures me that lie is a good Union man, and is doing all he can to 
assist and forward the interests of the Government. I think him a highly 
intelligent gentleman, but hardly sound. 

Oakville. — This office is located in a thrifty, settled community, and la but 
of little importance; being some distance from the Potomac, has less facilities 
than other offices for conducting contraband mail matter. I consider the 
postmaster a loyal, good, and reliable man. 

Chaptico. — From the peculiar location of this oflSce (being situated at the 
bead of Chaptico Bay), the postmaster has very superior facilities for con- 
ducting a large contraband business, which he has not failed to improve to 
a greater extent than any other officer in Lower Maryland. Indeed, he 
openly boasts that he holds two appointments as postmaster — one from 
Washington, and one from Richmond. A large number of contraband letters 
were found in his office. In addition to this, he is an habitual drunkard, 
neglecting the duties of his ofiice ; he has repeatedly neglected to lock the 
mail-bag ; has often left the key in the bag, and often refused to open the 
mail at all. From the importance of this office, it could hardly be dis- 
continued without a positive injury to a large number of good and loysd 
citizens. 

Leonardtown. — Tliis is the largest village or town in Lower Maryland. 
Charges of disloyalty have repeatedly been made against the postmaster of 
this place, many of which I have thoroughly investigated. He (Yates) styles 
himself a State Rights man, which is but a mild term for secession. A 
number of contraband letters were found in his office, but he positively denies 
knowing the writers, or the parties to whom they are addressed. The 
citizens generally speak in the highest terms of him, and, so far as I can 
judge, the office was well managed. Everything seems to be conducted 
with a great deal of system and regularity. As no better man could be 
induced to take the ofl[ice, I should think a change not advisable at present. 

Great Mills. — This is an office of some importance, being located midway 
between the Pawtuxent river and the head of St. Mary's, by opening directly 
into the Potomac. In September last, acting under an order from your 
department, I seized the entire contents of the oflSce. About one-fourth of 
the mail was directed (under cover) to the Confederate States. I think, 
however, the postmaster is a loyal citizen, but has been very negligent in hii 
duties. Not desiring to incur the hatred of the secession community in which 
he resided, he has allowed letters to be received at his office from the rebel 
States, addressed to well-known traitors, without reporting the same to the 
proper authoritiea. I think a change should be made at this office at once. 



116 CNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Saint Inagoes. — Tbis oflSce is of but little importance ; bnt few letteri 
received or mailed. I have heard no complaints against the postmaster here, 
hence I conclude he is loyal. 

From the very meager amount realized, I have found it exceedingly diflS- 
cult to find good, reliable, loyal men, who would accept the appointment of 
postmaster. Many who are competent will not devote the necessary time 
required to perform the duties of the office. I have, however, obtained the 
names and consent of loyal citizens who will accept an appointment at a 
nuiribor of the offices mentioned in this report, and, as soon as I can comfilete 
the list, I shall forward the same to your department. I consider it a matter 
of the greatest importance to the Government, at this time, that our post- 
masters should be loyal and true to the Union, particularly when their offices 
can by any possibility be used in any manner as a medium to convey informa- 
tion to the Confederate States. To discontinue altogether our mail facilities 
in Lower Maryland, at i)resent time, would result in a great inconvenience 
and injury to the few loyal people residing in that section, as well as our 
military forces, which, at my suggestion, have been stationed along tlje 
Potomac, to break up the contraband trade so successfully carried on during 
the past summer. 

I am, most respectfully, 

Your obedient servant, 
(Signed) L. 0. Baker. 

Special Agent P. 0. Depart., and Government Detective. 



A letter wliich was intercepted about this time will reveal 
tlie demoniac spirit of the rebellion, which, 1 regret to know, 
exists still to an alarming extent in the conquered South : — 



Nanjshot, D*otmber 19, 1884 

Dr. Uatlinq : — 

I expect to go from home soon, under another permit, to Nanjemoy, and 
want to make a good thing of it — better than be/ore. What I say about the 
permit, is confidential ; don't forget. 

I suppose you have heard but little of the truth of the little skirmish 
before Fredericksburg. Abolition, with Burnside at its head, was somewhat 
Boorched. At least thirty thousand were made to bite the dust. The strangled 
newspapers on this side dare not tell half the truth. I have ray infcrmation 
from officers and men who were on the field, and in the battle. Tiiey say the 
slaughter can never be described or forgotten by those who saw it. Tliey 
lay by thousands upon a single acre. The Southern blood was fully up; 
they spared nothing, but slew the cringing, cowardly, wiglish Abolitionists 
with an unspar'ng hand. 

The Southern loss was comparatively small, it is thought not over fifteen 
hundred, though nothing can be definitely known, yet awhilo, on the subject. 
It was doubtless the greatest slaughter ever made on this continent Bat 



A REBEL LETTER. 117 

irilj it teach the fools at "Washington wisdom? I hope so. Report reached 
hero yesterday, that Burnside, Stanton, and Halleck have resigned. Lincoln, 
Seward, &c., ought to follow suit. And then commence and hang every 
Abolitionist and Black Republican, and the balance may have some peace 
The sooner this is done the better. 

"^our friend, 
rSiimed) fl. W O. 



CHAPTER Vli. 

FRAUDS— DISLOYALTY IN MARTUk.N'D. 

rh« Freighted Traveler- — Treason and Frauds overlooked in the Rising Storm of 
Rebellion — The Bankers — The Pretty Smuggler — Reliable Character of ih« 
Detective Bureau — Disloyalty, and its Punishments in Lower Marylj^nd — Th< 
Friends of Hon. Montgomery Blair and the Quiuiue TralEc — ■' Chunook ' 
Telegrams. 

There was about this time a rather marked illustration of 
■a common means of transporting contraband goods acro-^is the 
lines. The extent to which such methods of deception -were 
resorted to by both men and women shows the stringency of 
tlie blockade at which the rebels sneered for a while, and the 
mania for speculation amid the horrors of war. 

I went to the wharf at Baltimore to watch the movements 
of a suspicious passenger who had gone just before me to 
embark. 

He succeeded in passing tlie scrutiny of Provost-Marshal 
McPhail, and went on board the steamer bound South. I 
followed him, and became satisfied that I had tracked an old 
offender. I accordingly addressed him, when he denied any 
disloyal designs. His hat had a peculiar appearance — seemed 
heavier than it ought to be. Removing it, I saw that the 
interior was conical in fonn, the base fitting his head. 1 
struck the top of tlie croAvn upon tlie rail of the boat, wli^n 
a cloud of quinine dust rose in the air. The rogue stood 
disclosed ; and ray first business was to secure his weapons 
of defense, if he had any. A pistol was found and sf 'zed. 
Tliis wea})on and the knife are the universal means of pro 
lection, and used in ways unknown to any but villains and 
tlipir captors. On one occasion a man had his Dt^'ingt r io 
his pantaloons pocket, and with his hand was turning it tc 
tire at me ikrough his pocJcei^ when I sprang upon liim and 

took it. 

us 



AN ENTER!' RISl^u IKA^ELER. 119 

Tlie "brief report, whicli will give furtlier particulars in 
Wilson's case, alludes to the search for him in Maryland, 
where, to escape the detectives, he sprang from a window La 
the second story of a dwelling and got away : — 

Wabhihoto!*, December 80, 1881, 

To the Honorable Seoeetary of State: — 

Dear Sir — On the mornins^ of the 19th instant, I arrested, on board the 
fitfamer Mary Washington, in Baltimore, one AYilliam Wilson. Upon search- 
ing his person, I found concealed in bis overcoat pocket a large druggist's 
jar, containing three ounces of quinine, a package of letters addressed to 
parties in Europe, and a number of photographs. I also found in Wilson's 
hat, very -ingeniously concealed, twenty ounces of quinine. From reliable 
information received since the arrest, I am satisfied that Wilson is the 
notorious "Bill Wilson," of St. Mary's county, Maryland, and the individual 
for whose arrest the Government lately oftered a large reward. Wilson had on 
his person British papers, showing that he had traveled in Europe as aa 
Englishman. 

He is now confined in Fort McIIenry, awaiting the orders of the Stata 
Department. 

I consider him a very dangerous man to be at large. 

Yours, very respectfully, 

L. 0. Baker. 

The storm of civil war came so suddenly upon us, that how 
to meet it was the great, absorbing question. The Cabinet, 
Congress, and the loyal masses at the North were intensely 
aroused to the need of men and money to beat back the wantoa 
assault of treason upon our nationality. 

Consequently, scarcely a thought was given to the possibility 
of disloyalty and frauds at home. The eye was fixed upon the 
dark horizon of Southern revolt; v/hile within our own 
brighter one were plots and robberies of the public treasury, 
whose disclosure v/as as startling as it was sickening to every 
patriotic heart. 

An example of rebel perfidy aud disregard of oaths in the 
highest class of capitalists v/as discovered toward the close of 
1S61. The house of J., Bros. & Co., bankers, in Baltimore, 
vdiose business previous to the rebellion was principally v/ith 
Southern banks, applied to the Hon. Simon Cameron for a 
permit to visit friends at the South. Mr. Cameron hnd knov/n 
the members of this firm to be of the first respectability; and 
gave the desired pass. 



120 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

After tins was used, another was obtained, until a large 
number had been obtained and had served well the purpose 
of the enterprising bankers. 

I received information that one of the firm was engaged 
in conveying large amounts back and forth in connection 
with the banking house of P. M., Richmond ; and that this 
means was resorted to for the transaction of business which 
months before had been pronounced contraband. 

I determined to detect the offenders in the act, and ex 
pose their disloyalty. 

Mr. J. was arrested at the Relay House, with his servant, 
and upon examination of his baggage a large amount of 
exchange and rebel correspondence was found. 

When the pass taken from Mr. J. and all the fticts were 
presented to Mr. Seward, he directed the seizure of the 
bank. It was decided to make a thorough examination of 
the vaults. The firm refusing to give up the keys of tliem, 
they were broken open, and revealed the shameful truth 
that the house had been for months acting contrary to a well- 
known order of the President prohibiting trade with the 
South. 

The next day I was directed by Mr. Seward to visit the 
War Department by eleven o'clock a. m. I repaired ac- 
cordingly to his oflice, and was ushered into the presence of 
President Lincoln, Secretaries Seward and Cameron, and 
Thomas A. Scott, and requested to identify the passes issued 
to J. I cannot pretend to say how far Mr. Cameron was 
Imposed upon by his banking friends, or to what extent 
the disclosure subsequently intiuenced his course. Mr. J. 
was sent to Fort McHenry, and the bank remained for a 
long time closed. 

Not far removed in date of occurrence, another form of 
fraudulent speculation, of which an instance among the 
male traitors has been recorded in the experience of "Billy 
Wilson," presented itself under a new and very amusing 
aspect. 

I was standing on the steamboat wharf at the foot of Sev- 
enth Street, Washington, with some of my assistants, when a 
pretty and tastefully dressed woman stepped from a carriage 



THE FAIR SMUGGLER. 121 

and cast a restless, inquiring glance upon the miscellaneoua 
crowd around her. This little peculiarity attracted my at- 
tention. For, not unfreqaently, the clew to a crime and its 
perpetrator is given by such signals, of both which only a 
detective of some experience would observe. An anxioua 
look, a passing expression of the face, a confused manner or 
answer to a question, becomes the key to unlock a great and 
dark mystery of wrong. 

I closely watched the fair traveler as she walked upon 
the narrow, sjningy plank to the boat, and saw that the foot- 
bridge yielded to her step quite too much for her natural 
weight. I was satisfied, upon a nearer observation, that 
under her light outer dress there was a heavier garment than 
anything in the usual contents of the female wardrobe. 

I politely accosted her in the saloon, and said : 

" Madam, what have you concealed under your dress?" 

"Nothing, sir," she sharply replied, " that I have not a 
right to carry." 

"See here, my lady ; just step into that state-room, and 
relieve yourself of the contraband goods without further 
ceremony or trouble." 

She disappeared, and a moment later, from the partially 
opened door spitefully threw a skirt, in Vv'hich was quilted 
forty pounds of sewing silk, saying: 

" I suppose you think that you are very smart." 

I quietly replied: "Smart enough for you, madam;" 
rolled up the valuable garment, and left her to her own 
reflections. 

In the introduction to this volume, I said that it was the 
dim, and to some extent a successful one, I think, to give to 
tJie Detective Bureau a character second to no other part of the 
national service in reliability. No man, however successful 
in his particular work, was allowed to remain in my employ- 
ment if found to be wanting in integrity. I quote one ca?e 
from several on this point. 

Mr. M., in accordance with the subjoined order, was 
arrested and confined in the Old Capitol Prison : 

To the Honorable P. H. Watbon, Assistant Secretary of War: 

D£AB Sib — In compliance with your order of tlie 8th, I Lerewith forwi»rd 



122 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

report in the case of S. M. M., a Jeteotive agent of the United States Govern 
ment, cliarged bj John Evans, John Rradsliaw, and others, captains of school t,rs 
engaged on tlie Potomac, with having at suudrv tunes blackmailed or exturu-d 
tuouey illegally from them. 

1st. Mr. S. M. M. is not, nor has been at any time, in my employ. On 
or about the 12th of January, 1862, Mr. M. was aj)pointed by the State 
l)epartment as a detective agent, and was ordered to rei)ort tc oie. J iinuie 
Hiately sent him to Alexandria, Virginia, for the purpose ol watching all 
«uspccted persons; giving him no authority to arrest or seize property of any 
♦description without first obtaining, through me, the proper order from the 
State Department. 

On the 10th instant, I applted to Mr. Allen, before and by whom tho 
ftfBdavits forwarded to your department were acknowledged, and ascertained 
that the charges were true^ except as to date, and some other minor discrep- 
ancies, which do not in any manner alter the charges or affect the matter. So 
far as Mr, M. is concerned, I consider the charges made in the aflidavits 
proved, and deeply regret that any otficer with whom I have had any connec- 
tion should be guilty of such conduct. 

If any class of men in the employ of tho Government at this time should 
be honest and trustworthy, it is its confidential agents. 

I respectfully suggest that you order me oflicially to discharge Mr. S. M. M. 
\mmediatel''. 

I am, Sir, yonr obedient servant, 

(Signed) L. C. Baker, 

Government Detective, War Department. 

Several weeks before the occurrences wliicli will soon be 
narrated, information liad been conveyed to the AVar De- 
partment, from Lower Maryland, of treasonable designs and 
operations of the people residing there. The loyal few en 
tered tlieir complaint in words which I shall quote : — 

Qbrat Mills P. O., J 

8t. Mart's Gountt, November 18, IMl. j 

Hon, SiMox Cameron, Secretary of War : — 

Dkab Sir — Being a loyal citizen of Maryland, I regard it an imperative 
duty to inform the Government of some facts which I hope the Government 
iLay recognize. 

There is a set cf men here who have done, and are still doing, all in their 
power to aid the rebel army. They have used the most treasonable languaj^a 
toward the Government; they have harbored, fed, and equii)ped, in every 
sense of the word, a great many men, and then have conveyed them to Vir- 
ginia. I also firmly believe they have arms buried in a churchyard, rea<ly U 
uee upon the Union people here, should the opportunity offer. These mei 
Lave done much against the Union cause here. At the recent election, the} 
tried to have men vote who acknowledged they had been to Virginia to htbi 



THE MARYLAND UNIONISTS COMPLAIN. I2:i 

arras against the Government, and did finally succeed in regard to some who 
bad been to the rebels, in the face of all I could do. We polled many more 
votes than they anticipated, and they now threaten our Uves and property, 
and say they will drive us from our homes. 

The^' organized a vigilance committee, and waited upon many Union men. 
and even forced one citizen to leave the county, this, sir, woul<l be confirmed 
by all the Union men in tha district. I sball take here the liberty to append 
the names of these men. As I have said before, if the chance offers itself, out 
lives and property are in danger. Since the election, their hatred has become 
bitter, since they see the majority in the State for the Government. 

I now beg to say a few words in regard to the gentlemen who have beeB 
elected by the disunionists to serve in the Legislature. They have publicly 
said they owe no allegiance to the Government, and they further say they arf 
not citizens of the United States, and also say they had rather see the Govern 
raent sink to hell, than to see the Southern Confederacy lose the slightest 

victory. 

These, sir, are the men elected as our guardians in the two branches of tli« 
Legislature. We, the Union men of St. Mary's county, do solemnly protest 
against these men, and contend, as the true and loyal citizens of Maryland 
they do in no wise represent our views, and believe that these men will 
not defend our rights, and redress our grievances in the hoth Houses. We 
sir, believe that a Camanche has as much right, and would as soon recognize 
one, as the men forced upon us by the rebels. We beg protection in our 
county, and in the Legislature, by the removal of these men from our midst 
They are still carrying a great many goods, and I believe some ammunition 
and arms to the rebels. 

Captain Gray, of one the cutters in the Potomac, I ranch fear will have 
trouble by his gentleraanly conduct and courtesy toward the rebels here. 1 
beard from them that they intended a party of them, suflicient in number, to 
go aboard to dine or exchange courtesies, and seize the vessel and crew, and 
run them into Virginia. This is from these men whom I sliall give the names 
of. We beg that these men may be taken out of our midst, and sent away 
from us. They threaten us in the most unmeasured terms. I beg to know if 
we are recognized, that I may appease the fears of our people here. Many of 
thera are much frightened, as the rebels are largely in the ascendency, and 
they threaten desolation. Take the men whose names I here append, and all 
will bo well wi*h us— as loyal people, 
e Your obedient servant, 

John R. Bibook, 

Great ifills P. O., 

St. Mary's County, Maryland. 
To Hot, biMON Oamebon, Secretary of War. 

Those elected to the Legislature : for Senate, L. 13. ; House delegates, B. f». 
Harris Esq., J. F. D. ; Aiders and abettors.: 11. J. 0. and son, J. D. F. and son. 
B K.,' B. H., Dr. F. S., Dr. A, L., L A-, and J. A., E. H. J., S. H., M. H, 



124 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

F. 0., T. S., J. G., Dr. A., W. 0. A., B. H., and in fact every rebel hero, 
hare done something to contribute to the rebel forces. 

Yours, 

J. B. 
The paper had this indorsement : — 

Hon. William H. Seward: — 

Inclosed is a list of candidates that I think are fair subjects for Fort 
Warren. 

Thomas A. Soott, Asst. Sec. of TVar. 

Before leaving Washington, I was directed by Mr. Sew- 
ard to exercise my own judgment and discretion as to the 
arrest of these persons, furnished with the following order : — 

DsPAETSfKNT OF StATB, > 

Wabimngton, Xorember 19, 1861. j 

To Brigadier-General Daniel E. Sickles, &c., &c., &c., or General IIookkr : — 
General — The bearer of this is Mr. L. 0. Baker, a detective in the employ 
o\ this department, whom I have requested to look after some disloyal per- 
sons in St. Mary's county, Maryland. I will thank you to render him an? 
•ssistance in the discharge of his duty that he may require. 
I am. General, very respectfully. 

Your obedient servant, 
F. W. Seward, 

Assistant Secretary. 

Further facts, in addition to those already in my posses- 
sion, determined my action in this matter. 

I selected the names of eight persons to "be arrested,' 
among them, one H., residing on ratuxent river, near its 
mouth, at a place called Millstone Landing. 

H., aside from his secession heresy, was a man of 
notorionsly bad character, and the terror of his neighbor- 
hood. An old resident, he had become familiar with all the 
streams, bays, inlets, &c., of that region, including the Po- 
tomac and Patuxent rivers, and Chesapeake bay. The 
character of the man, and this knowledge of the country, 
made him a fit tool, and valuable member of the band of 
blockade runners and spies, who resorted to his house aa 
their place of rendezvous. 

For ten days before I was on his track, he had slept in the 
woods, from fear of being taken. 

As an evidence of rebel zeal, they had arranged a system 



THE ARREST OF REBEL EMISSARIES. 126 

of signals, to give the alarm whenever a detective or Gov 
'jrnment agent appeared in the vicinity. 

During the day, strips of white cotton cloth were careless- 
ly suspended from the windows of their residences, or from 
a tree or shrub, to give notice of the arrival. In the night, 
the signal was the blowing of tin horns. 

In view of these fticts, and to accomplish the purpose of 
arresti^.- the traitors, the greatest caution was necessary. 

I there, "^e divided my force of a hundred men into eight 
or ten parties, giving each officer a minute description of the 
residence of the man to be arrested. Aware that the arrest 
of any one of the band before the others would immediately 
alarm them, these squads all left camp at the same time, with 
the understanding that, whether the arrests were made or 
not, the whole company should rendezvous at a certain 
point the next morning at eight o'clock. A more inclement 
and a wilder night I have rarely known. 

The streams were swollen by rains, and the darkness 
great, which tended to make the expedition very uncertain 
and uncomfortable. 

With the thirteen men who accompanied me, at two 
o'clock A. M., I surrounded the house of H. On knock- 
ing at the door, I gained no response. Forcing my entrance 
into the house, I was coTifronted by H. with a loaded pisto^ 
who desired to know my errand. I replied : 

*'H., your house is surrounded, and I have come to 
take yon prisoner. Give me that pistol." He did so reluct- 
antly. 

Upon searching the house, I found six notorious blockade- 
runners in the u])per story. Two were on their way to 
'' Dixie" with mail, and four returning, and conveying letters 
jf more or less im])ortance North. 

Naturally enough, the company were greatly disconcerted. 

I put these under arrest, and, while searching outhouses, 
found the "intelligent contraband." Upon questioning him, I 
learned where a large number of pistols and sabers, which 
he had carted to their place of interment, on their way South, 
were buried. Prom him I also ascertained that a large 
square box, containing Sharp's rifles, was buried in a Catnc 
lie church-vard three miles from the river. 



126 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Upon application to the Key. Mr. , })astor of tlie flock 

worshiping there, he treated my statenu^nts with ridicule, 
and refused to let me desecrate the "hallowed ground," pro 
uoiincing tlie act wanton sacrilege. lie denounced the Guv 
eminent for permitting it. 

I proceeded to the burial-place with the contraband, uho 
p<nnted out the grave. When my men commenced throwing 
ouL (lie dirt, the priest approached, and with u])lifted handH 
exclaimed : " Is it possible that, in this enlightened age, meJi 
can be found who will willfully desecrate the resting-place 
of the dead!" 

I continued the "work of exhuming the treasure until a 
new and large pine box was found and raised to the surhice. 
It contained fifty-six Sharp's rifies, with fifty rounds of am- 
munition each. 

My clerical friend exclaimed, with apparent surprise, *' I 
wonder how those arms could have got there I" 

It may be well to state here, that one of the fondt^st 
dreams of the people of Lower Maryland w^as, that at some 
future day the rebel army would cross the Potomac, and 
have on the nearer shore to Washington a base of operations 
against the capital. Therefore tlu'se people had long been 
secreting arms and ammunition, to be ready for this grand 
movement. 

My plan, which has be'Mi before referred to, but par- 
tially succeeded, owing to the fact that the arrival of the 
military was known. 

l>r. S., a prominent rebel, had left his home on the first 
intimation of our approach. His house was visitt^d the next 
day, but he was not at home. 

My squad were hungry, and asked for dinner. The 
women at once began to prepare it. Among the inviting 
dishes was a roasted opossum. We all ate heartily, and, 
besides paying liberally for the meal, we kindly thanked 
our fair hostess for the satisfactory repast. 

Upon reaching camp we were taken ill, and in a few 
boars three out of the five were in a dangerous condition. 

A physician was called, who said: "These men have 
been poisoned. What have they been eating ?" 

No explanation could be then given ; but it was after- 



SMUGGLING QUININE SOUTH. 127 

ward ascertained tliat tlie opossum liad extra dressing for 
our special benefit. 

H., with seven of his comparions, was confined in Fort 
Lafayette a year. 

Tlie name will again appear in tlie record of a later period, 
In a light no more flattering. 

I learned about this time that persons connected with dis- 
tinguished politicians were engaged in suspicious business 
fa Washington. The names were Mrs. T., Miss L. B. B., 
and M. B. B., a Baptist minister. 

I also learned that Mrs. T. was the mother of Miss B., 
the sister-in-law of lion. Montgompry Blair, Postmaster- 
General, and that Mrs. T. and her friends resided in Fau- 
quier County, Virginia. The passes had been procured 
on the recommendation of Postmaster Blair, to give these 
persons the opportunity to get a few of the " necessaries 
of life." 

An es})ionage of the visitors disclosed a traffic in quinine 
of considerable extent. 

They had visited three drug stores, and purchased six 
hundred ounces. This was taken to the house of Mr. Gfal- 
lagher, brother of Miss B. To ascertain in what way the 
quinine was to be conveyed, resort was had again to the 
contraband. 

A negro servant at Mr. Gallagher's house soon reported 
that Miss B. was engaged in rcakmg a skirt formed of sec- 
tions, or long pockets, lined with oiled silk. 

The smugglers were so closely watched that every move- 
ment in the purchase was known within half an hour after it 
occurred. 

I had decided not to arrest them until they were over our 
lines. After they left Washington, I called on the Hon. Mr. 
Blair, and told him the particulars in regard to his friends; 
when and where the medicine was obtained; the manufacture 
of the skirt for its transportation, &c. I further apprised him 
that they had that morning started for home. Mr. Blair lis- 
tened to my story, and then pleasantly remarked : " Why, 
Baker, those persons are as loyal as you are, and I loaned 
them the money." 

Then taking his bank book from his drawer, he added: 



128 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

*' See ; I have just had ray note for five hundred dollary 
discounted to help these poor people." 

I replied : " Mr. Blair, I cannot be mistaken about this." 

Exhibithig much impatience at my positiveness, he said : 
** Well, arrest them ; and if you lind the quinine, put them 
in the Old Capitol." 

Three miles over the lines, I stopped the travelers, and 
informed Miss B. that I wanted to examine the skirt. She 
immediately went into a farm-house, took ofl' the garment, 
and threw it down indignantly, saying : " So this is ihe way 
you treat Southern ladies." 

The whole party were tlien escorted to Washington. 

Miss B. and Mr. B. were lodged in the Old Capitol 
prison. Upon reporting the facts to the Secretary of War, 
he directed me turn the quinine over to the medical directco", 
the horse and wago::* to the quartermaster, and the groceries 
to the hospitals. 

The next morning the Hon. Montgomery Blair and 
Miss B, called, and demanded the restoration of the prop- 
erty. ^ 

I informed them of its disposal. 

On the afternoon of that day, Mr. Blair came back with 
written order from Mr. Lincoln to deliver up the goods. 

I told him that this was impossible, for it had already 
been handed over to the Government by authority of the 
Secretary of War. 

He then demanded my removal from office. 

Mr. Lincoln did not see that I had disobeyed any order, 
and failed to appreciate his Postmaster's regard for law and 
his Southern friends. 

The parties were kept in prison several weeks, and then 
paroled. 

We add Mr. B.'s statement, made under oath : — 



M. B. B. makes the following statement : — 

I was born in Loudon Oount.y, Virginia. Aged twenty-tlireo years. Re- 
side in Fauquier County, Virginia. On or about the 27th of October, 1862, 
Mrs. T., her daughter (Miss L. B. B.), and myself, came to Washington city, 
in a buggy or carriage, which was owned by Mrs. T. — the horse belonged to 
me. Mrs. T. also Lad in her employ a wagon and team, which, I believe^ 



MR. BAYLY'S COMPANrON". 129 

were the property of tlie driver, and which were engaged Ly her to (ym^ej 
groceries to her home, for family use. 

My visit to AYasliington, at the time referred to, was at the written 
re'jnest of Mrs. T., desiring rue to accompany her to Washington. After 
making her purchases, slie (Mrs. T.) obtained the necessary passes for our 
return; we started for home, and arrived in Alexandria, Virginia. The 
weatlier being rainy, Miss B. and myself commenced the preliminaries for 
taking medicines through the lines, on a speculation. After the agreement 
to do so, I ordered some of the medicines in Alexandria, when our party 
(Mrs. T., Miss B., and myself) concluded to return to Wasliington, D. 0.; 
bnt Mrs. T., to my knowledge, knew nothing of the contrabaud arrangement 
between Miss B. and myself. 

The purchases were all made by me, both in Alexandria and in "Washing- 
ton, ^liss H. and myself jointly expended about five hundred dollars in the 
enterprise. 

Miss B.'s arrangements for the conveyance were completed at Mr. Gal- 
lagher's residence on Fifteenth Street ; mine were comjileted in Alexandria 
After taking every precaution for success, we started for home in the same 
conveyance that brought us, and the same parties, viz. : Mrs. T., Miss B., and 
myself. 

"We proceeded homeward until stopped by the pickets, near Chantilly, and 
were then taken to Centreville, Fairfax County, Virginia, where we were 
searched, and the contraband medicines found and taken from us. I had but 
two letters, which were taken from me when arrested — one was given me by 
Miss B. H. (who, I believe, boards on Four-and-a-llalf Street), remarking at 
tlie time, that it was from her mother to her sister; Mr. McV., of Alexandria, 
handed me the other, requesting me tc send it to his father, remarking that 
there was nothing treasonable in it. 

I did not know of any letters on the person of Miss B., previous to 
our arrest. "When arrested. Miss B. and myself regretted the canae 
thereof, as we imagined Postmaster-General Montgomery Blair might be 
censured for aiding and assisting us in obtaining passes, our actions, as 
detected, having the appearance of disloyalty. It is but justice to that gen- 
tleman to say, that ho knew nothing of the matter between Miss B. and 
myself. 

Besides the contraband medicines taken from me, I had two carpet-bags, 
which contained my clothing. I also hold a receipt from detective officer 
[.ee, for "forty dollars in treasury notes, thirty dollars in Virginia State notes, 
wonty-four dollars in Confederate notes, and two dollars on broken bank,'"* 
jgether with my horse, which was in the buggy when ari'ested. I believe 
ill these are in the possession of Mr. L. 0. Baker, Provost-Marshal of the 'War 
Department, and, being my individual property, I respectfully ask their return 
on the disposal of my case. 

Having thus truthfully stated my case, and my lady companion (Miss B.) 

having been discharged, I presume that justice and punishment should be 

administered without partiality. I, therefore, respectfully ask my discharge 

aroiD confinement on the same conditions and privileges as were conceded tc 

9 



130 D.^ITED STATES SECRET SEKVICK 

^^i^^ L. B B., nijr companion in tLe unfortunate matter which caused raj 
arrest and confinement. 

M. B. 3. 

Pereonally appeared before me, this eleventh day of December, a. d. 1862 
the above-named Marcus B. B., and, being sworn accordiug to law, de- 
clares the above statement to be true. 

L. 0, TtJRNHR, 

Judge-Advocate. 
"Witness my baud and seal the day and year aforesaid. 

The telegraph lines were especially guarded after tlie war 
commenced. Great failures in army movements were caused 
by the improper use of the telegraph. 

^Vhen battles were impending, guards and censors to 
watch it were sent by the Government to the offices, for two 
reasons: first, to prevent intelligence from reaching the ene- 
my ; second Iv, to keep it out of the hands of unscrupulous 
persons, who would use it for cs^.r illation. Two millions 
of dollars were made in Wall Street in an hour by a single 
telegram. The business of that money market was governed 
by the army movements. Various tricks and expedients 
were resorted to for the concealment of the traffic in blood 
and gold. 

Very few exceptions, however, were made to this general 
rule. The commanding general, chief quartermaster, and 
a law others, were permitted to send dispatches not subject 
to tile usual censorship. A prominent officer attached to 
headquarters, who had spent his early life in Oregon, with 
the army, had become fcimiliar with an Indian jargon called 
ChunooA\ introduced by cast-away sailors, seventj-'five 
years ago. No trade but that of wliale-shiiDS was then 
carried on along tliat coast. The sailors taught the Indians 
certain expressions, pretending them to be English, whi* h 
remain in use am.ong them. 

A prominent Oregon politician, then in "Washington— a 
fnend of the army officer befor« referred to — had also learned 
this "Chunook." Presuming that the knowledge of thig 
jargon was confined to themselves at the East, they had 
arranged a system of telegrams, to speculate in gold. 

December 12, 1S62, after a temporary repulse of the Union 
Army, I was sent for by the Secretary of War, who said : 



CnUNOOK TELEGRAMS. 131 

*' Colonel, can you tell me what this means V handing me a 
telegram, which I recognized at once as Chunook. The dis- 

patc'h was signed " ," and sent to 

I replied : " Oregon Indian jargon." 
He added : " What is jargon ?' ' 
I explained. 

He asked me to write out a translation of it. 
The Secretary did not seem fully to appreciate my 
no wl edge of the language. 
He inquired if there were others who understood it. 
I replied: "Yes, several." 

Retaining the telegram, he sent for Mr. D., clerk m the 
Department of the Interior, who had also been in Oregon. 

He translated it substantially as I had done. The Sec- 
retary, still incredulous, sent for General , who is a 

fine linguist. . 

IleWid: "Mr. Secretary, why, tliis is Hungarian: a 
reply which was for some time a standing joke at the gener- 
al' 8 expense. 

The dispatches continued to arrive that and the next day. 
They were altered, transposed, &c., then forwarded, to tlio 
great wonder and bewilderment of the recipients. 

We copy the original telegrams with the tAVO translations, 
intimating that the Clmnook system of telegraphing was re- 
jected by the Government. 

The expressions, apparently so disconnected, had each a 
significance well understood by the army speculators:— 

Nksika isciru Feedebioksbcko. 
Tlin nesika pooh cononay okok sun copa liin bias gnns. Wake bin tilicniu 
mameloos. Tbraolloh tenas snn iiesika puck puck copa musket pe cononay 
pire iotas. Nahnitka chinas silcnra nesika raameloos kata wake clmco ole 
aez. 

Where is S. Where n. S. Come here to-day. My soldiers come as yoti 
told me. Now tell me, old N., suppose you want to see one big firing. AD 
wall, you make haste here now. News why mad, yes, to-morrow. 

Where is S. Tell H. S. to come hero to-day. The soldiers come as jox 
told me. Now tell old N., suppose he wants to see one big firing, all rights 
make haste hers. They will be mad ^o-morrow 



JS2 UNITED MATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Ukitkd States Mii.tTABT Teleohapil, War Depaxtmkkt, I 
■VVashlnoton, D. C, December 12, 1S62. J 

Wake Biyah coltua mitlike nesika conoway okok sun nika tamtiira claska 
rebels puck puck nesika tomallah kagna pililin divils klash nanitch conowav 
sun tomallah klark aiyum mikn. 

We have come to Fredericksburg. A great many we shoot all this day, 
witli a great many big gnns. A great many of your people are killed. To- 
morrow morning we shoot with muskets and all fire-arma. Yes, probably 
half of us will be dead. Why don't you come. 

We have come to Fredericksburg. We have killed a great many to-day, 
with big guns. A great many of their people are killed. To-morrow morn- 
ing we shoot with muskets, and all kinds of fire-arras. Probably half of ua 
w ill be dead. Why don't old N. come. 

It appears to patriotic "outsiders" incredible that sncli a 
morbid spirit of speculation could exist amid the tragedies 
of civil war ; but those who escaped the contamination in the 
arena of tempting opportunities were the select and incor 
ruDtible few at whose head was Abraham Lincoln. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

OFFICIAL SERVICES AND EMBARRASSMENTS— NEW ORDER OF THTNiiS 

rhe Bureau transferred to the War Department — Dr. H., and the Perilous Adventure 
of which he was the occasion — Report of the Case — Arrest of the Leader of k 
gT«at secret Southern Organization — Documents and Letters. 

DsPAKTHKirr or Statb, I 

Washinoton, February 15, 1881 | 

Sib — Permit me to introduce Mr. L. 0. Baker, who has been employed 
b> the State Department in the detective service, and who, so far as known, 
has discharged his duties in a manner entirely acceptable, li: consequence 
of Executive Order No. 1, dated February 14, this department has no further 
use of his services. He is commended to your consideration as a capable and 
efficient officer. 

I have the honor to be, very respectfully. 

Your obedient servant, 

W. H. Skwa»?d. 
Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War. 

Some interesting adventures soon after followed. 

Pr. G. H. was from Leesburg, Va. ; graduated in the 
Medical College of Philadelphia, and became engaged, while 
attending lectures, to the daughter of a prominent citizen, 
and subsequently married her. 

Immediately after the rebellion broke out, he took sides 
with the South, and became so obnoxious to the people of 
Germantown, by the declaration of his secession armtiments, 
that a committee waited upon him requesting him to leave, 
which he refused to do. This so exasperated tht5 citizens, 
that they warned him to take a peaceful farewell of the com- 
munity. He decided, at length, to go South. Removing to 
Baltimore, with others of similar character, among them Cap* 
tain Wardell, of the Shenandoah, he entered into the exciting 
but lucrative business of blockade-running. In the selection 
of his associates, as will appear, he took one of my detec- 
tives, and gave the details of the plan, dates of intended 
operations, and the kind of goods to be sold. The schooner 
chartered by them was the James Buchanan^ -a fitting 
name. 

133 



Ui^irLD fcii'ATES SKCUET 6EUV1CE. 

Having learned all the facts, I provided a tng, and wa^ 
lying off Annapolis two days and nights, expecting every 
moment the appearance of the schooner; whose departure 
was delayed by a terrible snow-storm. 

And here I was obliged to resort to one of the subter- 
fuges which were employed afterward so successfully by 
my assistants. 

Putting on the old oily clothes of an engineer, and with 
an oil can in my hand, I went to the store where the excur- 
sionists were getting supplies. 

Wliile there, I found the entire company engaged in the 
purchase. 

I was in no hurry to leave the place, but managed to gel 
close to one of the company who belonged to my force, and 
was admitted to the circle in disguise, trying, by nudging 
him and pulling his coat, to let him know who I was. It 
was all in vain : so complete was my transformation into a 
common and greasy engineer. 

Captain Wardell asked me on what boat I was engineer 
[ said of a tug-boat. 

Wardell, then turning to one of his companions, re- 
marked : "Why, here's a man who can tow us out." Then 
again addressing me, he inquired : 

"What will you ask to tow a small schooner out into 
the bay?" 

I replied : " On moderate terms. If you are aU ready, 
for ten dollars. Where is your schooner?" 

"At the wharf." 

" A Veil, if you are ready in an hour I'U do the job. My 
tug is at tlie end of the pier." 

I went on board and told my twelve assistants to go into 
a small cabin aft, and not to show themselves till signaled 
by me. 

Soon after the blockade-runners came down, stepped 
aboard the schooner, threw me a line, bade adieu to theii 
friends on shore, and we started down the bay. 

Their vessel being small, with little room under Ihe deck, 
they remained above. 

Six miles from Annapolis, where they could sail theii 
vessel, they hailed me, and told me to cast off the line. 



THE CAPTURE. I;i7 

I invited them on the tug to take a glass of good cheer 
before leaving. They came on board, and, while gathered 
around the bottle, I gave the signal ; my men rushed up tlie 
hatchway. I told my guests wlio T was, and that they were 
my prisoners. Among them was one of my detectives, who, 
to be distinguished readily, wore a red shirt and black belt. 
He had been three weeks with these blockade-runners. A 
little warlike demonstration was soon quieted by the display 
of a carbine. I took them to Foit McHenry, in a snow-storm 
of great severity ; and, having let my subordinates return 
with the boat while I adjusted business details, found the 
walk of nearly three miles, in the night, no pleasure walk 
after the excitement and fatigue of the day. 

My report recounts the official course of events partially 
narrated : — 

Wasoingtoii, Ftbruary 24, 1862. 

To the Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War : — 

Dear Sir — Herewith please find my report in the case of Dr. H. H., 
arrested at Annapolis, on the 18th instant. The doctor is a resident of 
Germantown, Pennsylvania. During the excitement last summer, the doctor 
made himself particularly obnoxious to the Union people in his vicinitj 
by his open denunciations of the Government and his avowed sympathy 
with the so-called Confederate States; so distasteful had he become, at 
one time, that the police authorities in Philadelphia were compelled to 
interfere to protect his person and property. Dr. H. was, until the last 
two years, a resident of Winchester, Virginia; he married the daughter 
of F. B., Esq., of Philadelphia (a good Union man and a worthy citizen). 
On or i.bont the first of the present month, the Doctor began making arran^j** 
ments for going South, for the purpuse of joining the Confederate army as » 
surgeon. He came on to Hultimore. Maryland, mingled freely with the 
secession element in that city. On the 10th instant, an organizatinu or par1> 
of rebels, in Baltimore (of which the Doctor was one), chartered the slouj. 
James Buchanan to carry them to Virginia. Being advised of tlieir interaed 
movements, I chartered (by order of Major-General Dix) a steam tug, -with a 
view to intercept them, it being understood that the party, consisting of 
thirteen persons, were to embark at Annapolis The day fixed upon for their 
departure being very stormy, the sloop did not leave Baltimore. I, however, 
went to Annapolis on Tuesday last, and found the expedition ready to siil. 
Having no boat at my disposal, I immediately arrested Dr. H. I searched 
his baggage, and found letters which settle the question as to his guilt 
and intentions to join the Confederater A quantity of gold coin and 
Confederate bank-bills were found in his possession, also pistols, rubber 
blankets, ready-made clothing, <&c., &c. The prisoner, with the letters, 



138 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

pa[>or3. money, and all other effects belonging to hitn, were turned over to 
Gfiierul r>ix, at Baltimore. The prisoner is now ccufined in Fort Mcllenry, 
subject to the disposal of your Department. 

I am, sir, your obedient servant, 

(Signed) L. C. Bakbk. 

Alexandria notwithstanding its proximity to Wash! nor. 
ton, became headquarters of secession councils. This state 
of things culminated, early in the struggle, in the death of 
Ellsworth. 

At Baltimore, while I was apparently in sympathy with 
the rebels, I learned of a secret organization at Alexandria. 
It was formed ostensibly for the benetit of the families of 
both Union and Confederate soldiers. This will account for 
the connection of Mr. Louis AlcKenzie with its proceedings. 
lie became a member, unaware of its real character ; and 
when its disloyal spirit was apparent, he absented himself 
from the meetings of the society. The seizure of the records 
put me in possession of its entire history. There was "a 
wheel within a wheel" in this organized benevolence, de- 
signed to bring out all the sympathy available for the cause 
of treason. The Pc^el correspondence will be found es- 
pecially rich in expressions of feeling ; while the rebel 
poetry, which graced one of the meetings of the association, 
presents very forcibly its ruling animus. In this report^ 
as in other narratives I shall quote, sometimes uninterestii^g 
details occur, because inseparable from the record : — 

WiSHmoToii, M""^ 4, 1861 
To the FTon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War: — 

Sir — I have the honor herewith to transmit my report In tiie followmg 
cases, arrested at Alexandria by myself and assistants, February 2rtth and 
27th, 1862. Accompanying this report are two books — one containing the 
proceedings of a secret organization, or society, for the benefit of llie famiiiLd 
of soldiers now in the Confederate army, also the manufacture of uniforms, 
elothing, iVc, which have from time to time been forwarded to the so-calle;! 
Confederate States. This association was organized in June last, ami, as 
B[)peRr9 from the minutes of their proceedings, the Ladies' Relief Associate )n, 
ouniposed of tlie wives and daughters of its members, were admitt«<l, la jrder, 
as it is alleged, to extend the usefulness of their operations. 

Repeated complaints have been made to me, during the pi>8t fall and 
vi£tei, concerning the meetings and treasonable transactions of this sccietj 



CITIZENS OF ALEXANDRIA ARRESTED. 139 

Uwing to the high social standing and position of these traitors, and the ex- 
treme secrecy with which all their operations were carried on, I found it 
very difficult to ascertain, with any degree of certainty, their places of meet- 
ing, their number, or the names of the parties comprising the organiration. 

Daring the past four months, large numbers of cards were picked up in 
the streets and bar-rooms at Alexandria, on which w ere printed words and 
sentences, disconnected, which (since the arrests were made) I have ascer- 
tained were intended as a notice to the members of the society tc meet at a 
certain time and place. So dark and secret were all their proceedings, that 
it was with the utmost difficulty, and after months of patient and constant 
surveillance, that this board of secret plotters against the Government were 
brought to light. 

The book containing the minutes of these meetings was found in the pos- 
session of Henry Peel, who, at the time of the arrests, was secretary of the 
association. This book, fortunately, contained the names of all the oflScers, 
which subsequently led to tlieir arrest. The book marked "Dangerfield" 
was found in his (Dangerfield's) possession. It contains a statement of the 
object of the association, the names of its contributors, names of subscribers, 
amount subscribed, and how disbursed. 

There can be no question as to the real object of thia association. Let 
ters, papers, and memorandums, found in possession of nearly all the parties 
arrested, show most conclusively that these individuals were engaged in a 
treasonable conspiracy to levy war against the United States Government, 
and all have refused to take the oath of allegiance. Much of the proof oi 
which I rely to convict, under the act of 1861, is verbal conversations witl 
and between these rebels, which have been overheard by many of the most 
reliable citizens of Alexandria, and, I am satisfied, will convince any jury in 
the land of their guilt. 

On or about the 4th of March, 1861, Mr. Louis McKenzie (now Mayor of 
Alexandria) was called upon for consultation with J. B. Dangerfield, W. F. 
Booth, W. H. Taylor, W. II. Marburg, General Johnston (now in the Con- 
federate army), James Green, and J. W. Burke, for the purpose of devising 
some plan for the seizure of Wasliington, the seizure of steamers running on 
the Potomac, and destroying the buoys marking the channel up the Potomac. 
They also gave information and personally assisted in the seizure of the 
steamer Paige, now in possession of the Confederates. All the facts causing 
this meeting can be proved by a number of reliable witnesses now residing in 
Alexandria. All the above-named parties (except the rebel General John- 
Bton) are now confined at the Old Capitol prison. 

Owing to the recent arrests, and seizure of contraband correspondence, 
bat few letters directly implicating the parties were found. 

HENET PEEL. 

The following letter was written to Henry Peel by his brother now in Riok 
mond : — 



140 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 



KiOHUOKD, November 80, 1861. 

M^ Dear BKOTnES— You can not imagine the source of pleasure your letter 
gave us. It was the first line I had received from Alexandria si ace I left 
The letter you wrote me in answer to mine I have never received, but hope it 
may come along in time. Since I came to Richmond I have been busily engaged 
8«lling off the goods I shipped to the country, and have been operating in 
otiiei- mticles out of my usual line, and have succeeded very well so far. Th* 
truth is, almost anything you could buy can be sold at a profit and for cash. 
Miniey is more abundant than I ever knew in all my business life. Richmond 
is the center of trade; it is the point from which the army draw most of their 
8uj>plies. The supplies are abundant and coming in from every quarter. The 
Boble sons of the South have just laid down their all upon the altar of patriot- 
ism, determining to maintain their rights against such a nation of Yankee 
myrmidons, as are in fact the Northern States. "When the South determined 
to separate from so vile a community, they have to confess that they did not 
know that they were so much like land pirates as they have shown themselves 
to be in their effort to crush the Southern people. Of all civilised nations 
known, a more brutal, despicable crusade against the South is not recorded. 
They (the South) now fully know with whom they are de&iiug, and will act 
accordingly — an eye for an eye — and all prepare to meet liKira. any and every- 
where. Whenever a contest has taken place, the Southern holdiers have proven 
enccessful. This is true; their papers to the contr&ry. The whole purpose i» 
to deceive the people, and their papers are undei such surveillance tliat they 
can not dare to give any c^her report. The actual loss in the Lecsburg fight 
say prisoners, killed, wounded, drowned, aod missing, was thirty-three hun- 
dred. Your papers state no such result Every few days a large batch of 
prisoners are brought here. Yesterday, twenty three cavalry were brougiit 
down; their horses and all captured Sent off two hundred and fifty to 
Alabama on Wednesday; about fifteeu hundred still remain here. If they 
attempt to hang those taken as privateers, tlieir rank will be hung here. 
Already lots have been drawn, and each unhappy man is confined in the cell 
for criminals prepared for the condemned. In no way can the North get 
ahead of the South. Plenty of stout hearts, abundance of provisions, full 
supply of ammunition, army well equipped. The finest long-range rifle cannon 
and columbiad, that strikes terror whenever fired. The whole South, with a 
united voice and solemn resolve, have willed to be free from the North oi 
perish in the eftbrt. All feel hopeful and sanguine of success, willing to en- 
dure any and all privations, even to life itself. If the North could only know 
how vain their efforts to conquer the South, or subdue the rebels, tliey would 
give it up. If they do know the fact, their acts are only to damage the 
South, to gratify an intense hatred for losing so good a customer as the South 
has been ; but in carrying on the war, every blow they give strikes back with 
redoubled force, in loss of life and building up a debt which they will nevei 
Bee paid. As for the Union must be preserved, it is all a farce ; the old Union 
is broken, never again to bo united. This is a fixed fact. Every day the 
blockade lasts only tends to make the South mere independent of tho North. 



REBEL CORRESPONDENCE. 141 

as every variety of manufacture is eprin^'n^ up. Just tliink of it: a f«w 
mouths since tliere vras uo Government whatever here ; now it is fully organ- 
ized, and every department is in successful operation. A large army has been 
organized and well sustained, and can whip tliree times their weight in 
Yankee flesh or foreigners either. The crops have been abundant, money is 
plentiful, and confidence between man and man, all standing shoulder to 
shoulder, determined to undergo extermination before subjugation. ITie 
women and children uniting in the one common effort, besides the slaves all 
at home laboring to sustain our army with provisions to repel the common 
foe against us. To conquer such a people, relying upon the God of battles 
t.o sustain them, is simply ridiculous. In all our struggles, the hand of the 
Almighty is plainly visible ; for our many sins we may be scourged and have 
to suffer much, but putting our trust in Ilim, tliough many be slain, yet lie in- 
tends all for our good. It is a source of no little gratification to feel that God 
is with OS in this struggle, and to expect some reverses is natural enough, but 
the -esult is only a question of time : the longer we are persecuted, the greater 
loss uf life and money the North will sustain, and accomplish nothing at last. 
In one tiling the Yankees have been mistaken : that was, to incite the negroes 
to insurrection; but be it said to their advantage when the struggle is over, 
that where one black face with a true heart has turned against us, ten whitei 
facts with black and false hearts have done so; and I regret so many in 
A'exandria are of that class, but most of foreign-born or Yankees, who never 
had any sympathy with the institutions of the Soutii. Amidst all the horrors 
of the war, Riclimond is increasing in population and sealizing great and un 
paralleled prosperity. Nearly every branch of business is a success. Manu- 
factories are doing well. We have a very large number of Alexandrians here, 
and most of them have profitable employment. John McC. J. is here in office 
at one thousand dollars salary ; Wells A. Lockwood is in a bank at one thou- 
sand dollars salary. I could extend the list of friends here. Mr. E. K.Witmer 
and child arrived safely ; all of them will keep house together. Tell H. P. 
I received a letter from his partner, S., and he sent me a letter for H., which 
I will forward with this, hoping it may reach him, as I trust all our letters, 
safely. As you all have both piano and melodeon, we would like for Lu. to 
send round and get F.'s piano and melodeon and take care of it for me, using 
both as much as they please. If not inconvenient, we would like them to 
send and get them. I have never heard one word from Mr. B. since I left. 
I hope he will be able to get along without trouble and meet with no reverses. 
It is a sad state of things that friends should thus be separated, and for no 
fault of ours, the fault being at the door of demagogues and politicians. Aw ful 
will be the account to settle at the Day of Judgment for so much cruelty wan- 
tonly inflicted upon innocent men, women, and children. Surely their cup ia 
fast Ailing up, and vengeance will overtake them. We have been disappointed 
in seudmg this as I expected, but now have a chance in a day or two. Our 
General Assembly met in Augusta, Georgia, last Wednesday, to organize 
anew for the South. They expect to get along without large boards to man- 
age their affairs — only a small committee responsible to the Assembly. Theresa 



142 UNITED STATES SECLET SERYIOE. 

goes over to Petersburg next Thursday, to spend a week or so. Our Congress 
and Legislature are in session. Tlie State Convention has adjourned. Wa 
have seen Lincoln's message — a poor thing. IIow vastly he is mistaken about 
Tennessee and North Carolina, lie will find both Kentucky and Missouri 
gi)ing with the South. He may well recommend the fortifying of Northern 
cities, fearing European intervention or aid from that quarter. It is all tot 
no purpose this detestable land-pirate war is carried on; they Lever can con- 
quer the South We are getting stronger every day. Men enlisting and 
impleinents of warfare increasing weekly. Some new engines of warfare have 
been invented that will be used in the nest battle, that will carry death and 
destruction to any army coming in contact with it. Of this I can not speak 
fnrtlier; but only an opportunity offer to use them, and they will rue the day 
they ever thought of subjugating a free and enlightened people. We all 
unite in affuctionate love to you all, praying a merciful Providence may watch 
over and keep you. 

I am, affectionately, your brother, 8. 

It will always be an liistorical fact, over which the loyal 
heart will sadly wonder, that, while the cause of treason was 
rarely betrayed by its professed friends, the most threaten- 
ing danger at the North was the treachery of those who lived 
under and and even hurrahed for the old flag. 

No future historian of the civil war will probably ever 
attempt, nor will the records of the quartermasters' de- 
partment ever show the vast amount of public stores and 
other property wantonly abandoned and destroyed by its 
faithless servants. 

All over the boundless arena of conflict were scattered 
the best materiel of war — its most abundant supplies — in 
fragments and decaying masses ; a spectacle not beheld, and 
therefore unappreciated, by the people at home. 

It is, however, no new thing under the sun, and peculiar 
to no party in power. 

The Mexican war was, perhaps, never surpassed in this 
aspect of national conflicts. The speculations were so re- 
mote from the great commercial centers of the country, the 
people knew but little of the manifold and lawless specula- 
tions. 

Tlie late war offered opportunities of every possible sort 
for unprincipled trafBc ; some of them lawful, and many 
more unmitigated robbery. "Uncle Sam" was the victim 
of this sharp practice, and therefore it flourished with the 
air of respectability and comparative impunity. 



FRAUDS BY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND OTHERS. 143 

In one instance, a telegraph operator retained important 
oflacial messages, and even charged for Government dis- 
patches. Death itself has no barrier to the mercenary trade. 
The embalming of the dead, and the transportation of the 
bodies to friends at a distance, were occasions for unblush- 
ing extortion. 

As we have suggested, the atmosphere of war is petrify 
ing to the moral sensibilities of men who yield to its de 
moralizing influence, and they will do deeds in the presence 
of death, and with their own threatened every moment, 
which, in the purer, calmer air of their domestic and social 
life, would be utterly repulsive and unthought of by them 

Clerks and employees of the Government, whose business 
it was to make returns of the amount of forage and supplies 
received from the contractors, it was found were bribed by 
the latter to make false entries, and thus increase the weight 
fraudulently, to a greater or less figure. My investigation 
of the transactions disclosed the astounding fact that these 
employees had increased the amount of supplies furnished by 
sixteen contractors to the amount in money of over two hun- 
dred thousand dollars ; which, in compliance with my sugges- 
tion, was deducted from the sum to be paid the contractors, 
on their final settlement with the Government. 

All means were resorted to, by men who attracted the 
notice of the bureau, to escape arrest. When bribery and 
coaxing failed, threats were used, to secure their immunity 
from merited exposure and punishment. I was not unfre- 
quently cautioned by a meinlx-r of the Cabinet, against ex 
posure to personal violence and even assassination. The 
letter copied below refers to a communication of an attorney. 
A German, named Volk, who had in his possession a large 
number of horses, nearly all of which belonged to the Gov- 
ernment, was arrested, and the horses taken from him. A a 
usual in similar cases, Yolk employed an attorney. After a 
full and patient hearing of the case, 1 returned to Volk nine 
of the horses, which could not be proved to belong to the 
Government. The attorney, after exhausting legal argument 
to get the rest of the animals, wrote a letter, in which he in- 
timated that he had possession of certain papers reflecting 
unfavorably upon my private and official character, and that 



144 UNITED STATES SECRET SEKVICE. 

their presentation to the President would make my immediate 
dismissal from the service certain. But, if 1 would recom- 
mend the Quartei-master-General to restore the horses, and 
appoint a friend of his on my police force, he would forward 
me the papers, and spare me the disgraceful exposure by 
Mr. Lincoln. In reply, I wrote as follows : — 

OrriCB PBOvoBT-MARsnAL War Dkpartmbht, ) 
Washlnqton, December IB, 1SG2. \ 

Tt r. B., Attorney and Counselor at Law, 
Washington, D. 0. : — 

SiH — Your note of this date is received. Previous to my giving you any 
order for the payment of the nine horses, I took much pains in investigating 
the case, and satisfied myself that Volli was entitled to tlie pay for the said 
nine horses, and no more. I have, as yet, seen no proof or facts that would 
warrant me in recommending tlie Quartermaster's Department to pay for 
any more horses on Vol!<'s account. 

If you can produce any satisfactory proof that any person or persons in 
my employ extorted money from Vollv, I will not only cause tlie amount to 
be refunded, but will immediately discharge and arrest such i)erson or per- 
sons. In relation to certain papers you refer to, wliich you say you will fur- 
nish me with, that might be used greatly to my annoyance, I beg leave to 
reply, that I am not in the market as a purchaser of any such documents. 

Tne parties you speak of *s being on my track, and whom you say you 
will exercise your skill to keep olT, I have no fears of; therefore you are at 
tibei ty (so far as I am concerned) to let thein loose as soon as you may think 
proper. 

In the latter part of 1862. T was sent for by Mr. Lincoln 
to make tn investigation respecting the brutal treatment of 
slaves in Lower Maryland. This whole section had been 
visited 'by the Union troops, and, as a natural consequence, 
the slaves were escaping. There seemed to be something so 
fascinating to the ignorant bondmen, that they would follow 
them, as if charmed by the glittering bayonet and blue 
uniform, which never failed to awaken a strange longing for 
liberty. It is not military ambition, but an inspiration, 
which seizes them. They are re^dv *o fall in and keep step 
to the martial airs of freedom. 

An illuatration of the interesting peculiarity of the race 
came under my observation during one of the well-known 
raids by General Kurtz, from Suffolk, on the Weldon rail- 
road. The First District Cavalry, a regiment 1 had raised, 
and of wliich further mention will be made, was divid^^d 
into front and rear gua'-d. The advance of the forces waa 
the first appearance of Union troops among these patient 



REBEL BRUTALITY TO SLAVES. 14Ji 

"servants" of the region. To "be informed that we were 
" Yankees," was enough, without the slightest hint of our 
plans or destination, to stir the most stupid toiler like a 
trumpet-call. The hoe was dropped, the plow and cart 
abandoned. Even the women, moved by the same wild 
impulse, deserted their cabins, and all together rushed to 
the rear of the army, and stepped to the music of the march 
for days, and sometimes for weeks. They dreaded more 
than death the return to their owners, or recapture by them. 

When it became necessary to leave several hundred at 
Reams' s Station, in our hurried movement backward, they 
lingered about instead of going forward, and their frantic 
agony was heart-rending. 

A very cruel instance of the welcome given to a recap 
tured slave, occurs to me in this connection. One Carpenter, 
a notorious secessionist, was a ruffian and a terror to all 
Union men. o frighten the slaves, and prevent them from 
running away, he tied a captured man to a tree, in a nude 
condition, wliipped him with a board til. exhausted, then 
set his slaves at work. When this master and fiend was 
rested, he returned to the beating, until death closed the 
scene. There was a formal arrest, but the majority of his 
"fellow-citizens" were in sympathy with him, and he was 
soon at liberty. Subsequently, however, he was arrested 
for treason, and confined in the Old Capitol prison. 

It is a matter of history, that at this period of the National 
struggle for existence, the cause of the war was ignored by 
the North. Not so with the South ; there, the " corner- 
stone" was brought forth to the world's admiring view, and 
the flag of treason waved proudly over it. There was then 
some excuse for England's sneer at our unbroken loyalty to 
the South in her defense of the aristocratic claim of superi- 
ority over all other American races. 

I have never had the honor of being called a reformer, 
or an ^^abolitionist,'''' but I do not deny that my sense of 
justice, and my sympathies, have been with the injured 
and oppressed, irrespective of color, or position in society. 
I have, therefore, during the entire period my bureau has 
served the loyal cause, unhesitatingly given the whole 
power of the department to the protection of the defense- 

10 



146 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

less negro, whenever lie was the victim of prejudice or 
passion. 

In common with thousands who were ^brought to face 
the practical effect of the slave system during the war, I 
have seen the soul of tyranny in it, whose lust of power 
spared not the blood-bought Union, but longed to crack 
tlie wliip over the hated "Yankee." 

Necessarily "behind the scenes," I saw the demon dis- 
guised by the bland expression of the "chivalry," and 
learned that the " kind. Christian masters" were so in spite 
of the system which they sustained — they were naturally 
magnanimous men, or governed by genuine religious prin- 
ciple, modified by a wrong education to the approval of 
gigantic wrong. 

I could fill pages with the narratives of fiendish scorn 
of the "nigger," while he was docile and unresisting aa 
the lamb led to the slaughter. Nor has the spirit of the 
peculiar institution died with the formal existence of slavery 
and the defeat of its sworn friends — a fact the country may 
realize when the retributive storm evoked by the countless 
mounds of starved prisoners of the loyal North, and the 
nameless graves of the murdered bondmen, shall again, 
though in a new aspect, bf^wilder with darkest fears our 
wisest statesmen. 

y Fairfax Court-House vv^as for two year: within our lines, 
and occupied as an outpost by our anny. Here lived a 
citizen by the name of F., with whom boarded several of 
the staff officers. Ilis daughter. Miss F., was a young 
and decidedly good-looking woman, with pleasing, insinua- 
ting manners. She discoursed fluently, and with enthu- 
siasm, of the Union cause, impressing her admiring guests 
with her loyalty and intelligence. Meanwhile, she carried 
her commission as a rebel spy. This document, in its original 
form, was found through the confidence reposed by Miss 
F. in a female subordinate in my bureau, who played the 
part of a Southern lady going to her friends. Miss F. opened 
Her heart to the young adventurer, and also her bed, in which, 
between the mattress and its nether companion, was con- 
cealed the prized and useful paper. It was found there 
when the fair spy was arrested by my order. 



MISS A. J. F. 14? 

Tlie puLlic have not forgotten the capture of General 
Stoughton and staff, at Fairfax Court- House, by Moseby, 
which drew from Mr. Lincoln the remark, when he waa 
toki that a hundred horses were captured with tlie officer : 
"Well, I am sorry for that — for I can make brigadier-gen- 
erals, but can't make horses." 

It turned out that Miss F. was accustomed to go out 
at night and meet Moseby, the famous guerrilla, and im- 
part whatever infonnation might be of service to the enemy. 
Indeed, one day she was invited by a staff officer to take a 
horseback ride into the country, and met Moseby, whom she 
introduced to her escort under an assumed name, and passed 
along, with loyal words upon her traitorous lips. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE BUREAU IN CANADA— IN THE ARMY. 
Trioka of False Correspondence — Mr. Delisle and the "Secret Secession Legation 

The operations of the bureau were embarrassed unavoida- 
bly by the transmission of false intelligence through unrelia- 
ble persons for mercenary ends, of the gravest importance to 
this or some other department of the Government. Bogua 
correspondence was sometimes thrown into my hands to mis- 
lead me, and secure to the writers some personal advantages. 

For illustration : Early in 1863, a man, who signed him- 
self " C. M. Delisle," wrote to the State Department, ex- 
pressing an earnest desire to forward important information, 
dating from Prescott, Canada East, but post-marked at Og 
densburg, New York. Delisle claimed to be the agent of 
the "Secret Secession Legation, Canada," through whose 
hands passed all the correspondence between the province 
and Richmond. The letter below is from this gentleman : — 

Ogdknbbvbq, U^ay i, 1S68. 

To the Honorable W. H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington: — 

Sib — Certain facts having of late come to my knowledge, of the existence 
of a secret Southern society, the object of which is most detiiniental to the 
Federal Government of the United States; and although a Britisli subject, 
and residing in the States but for a few months, I deem it my duty to inform 
you of the fact. Having myself been engaged, in 1837 and '38, in quelling 
the Canadian rebellion, when I had the honor of holding a commission in a 
British troop of cavalry, besides having since held several commissions and 
ajvpoictments under the Canadian Government, I can understand tlie very great 
injnry cAused by it to a well-constituted Government as yours. However, I 
am one of those who are strongly in favor of the Union, and would consider 
It A very great misfortune if such a promising republic should ever be broken 
np. Being unwilling that it should be known that I have addressed you on 
ttiis subject, I trust it at the confidence reposed by me in you will be strictlj 

148 , 



SECRET SECESSION LEGATION. 1 19 

private and confidential ; and should your Government think proper to far- 
nish me the means of going to Washington, I shall then be most happy to 
substantiate my assertions by undeniable evidence. Had I had the means at 
my disposal, I should certainly have lost no time in seeing you personally. 
As to my character, it is beyond censure, and witli regard to my family con- 
nections, they are of the highest standing in Canada, where I w^as born and 
brought up. As it might occur to you that this is a ruse to obtain money, I 
can assure you that it is not so; and I am confident that when I shall liave 
made yon acquainted with the wliole of the facts connected with my infor- 
mation, it will put you in a position to discover and reap invaluable informa- 
tion for the good of your Government. I may also state that I shall have no 
objections in ofi'ering my services in bringing the whole thing to light, as some 
one would have to be employed by you on th» frontiers and in Canada, every 
Inch of which is most familiar to me. 

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient, «&c., 

0. M. Dklislb. 

Four or five letters more, of a similar cliaracter, were for- 
warded to me by Mr. Seward, with the indorsement that 
he believed much valuable information could be procured 
from Delisle respecting persons in connection with whom he 
professed to be acquainted. 

Accordingly I met him, when he unfolded to me one of 
the grandest and most skillfully arranged plans ever devised, 
the great importance of which had rendered it necessary 
tliat an organization should be formed, with the sounding 
title already quoted, whose secretary was "Wm. Sibbald." 
So completely had these villains made out their programme, 
the single object of which was to obtain large sums of 
money, that it was with much difficulty that their plot w^as 
finally discovered. The letters which follow were well cal- 
culated to deceive the most vigilant servants of the Govern- 
ment : — 

MoNTBBAL, AprU 27, 1S63. 

Sib — The president of the "Secret Secession Legation in Canada," being 
(lebirous to appoint an agent on the border of the United States and Canada 
for the pur])Ose of facilitating the conveyance of the secret mails, &c., from 
Richmond, Va., to Europe via Canada, and your name having been transmit- 
ted to him by a friend of yours in the United States, as a person in whom all 
confidence can be placed, for your intelligence, integrity, and forbearanr^e, I 
therefore, sir, beg, at his request, to make you the following ofier, for your 
acceptance or refusal, viz. : — 

First. T^iat you will consent to become ^'■Secret AgenV in the United 
States for the above Legation. 



150 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Second. That you will endeavor, by secret means, to forward in packages, 
«o made np and of such size as to avoid detection at the hands of the United 
Stales Government, all the letters, &o., delivered to you montlily by persons 
trora Richmond, Va., and who will have been previously instructed in New 
Vork of the nature of their mission toward you. 

You will also give them any information they may require to make a 
nlent and secret entrance in Canada, by indicating to them the roads by 
wlich the crossing of the boundary lines can be more easily effected and with 
less danger. 

It will also be your duty to deliver to them, on their making therasolvea 
known to you by means of countersigns, which in all cases will be given to 
fon in time by the Legation in Canada, any letters, papers, money, &c., that 
will have been secretly given to you for them, either from here or from other 
%ccret agents serving in Canada or the United States. 

Also, that you will find means to carefully conceal any documents, &c., 
from the vigilance of the United States Government police, till such docu- 
ments, (Sic, are safely delivered into the hands of the "emissary" it may 
please our worthy President, Mr. Jefferson Davis, to send to us. 

Third. That you will be willing and ready to move from one place to the 
other, at six hours' notice from the Legation here, at any time the said Lega- 
tion may order such a move, and everywhere act as secret agent to them, 
seeking and gathering any information they may require, and then faithfully 
transmitting the same to the President here. 

Should this oflFer meet your approbation, your remuneration will be as 
follows, viz. : two dollars and fifty cents for every letter, pajjer, &c., not 
bearing an official stamp; ten dollars for any document, letter, paper, &c., 
bearing our official Government stamp, and which in both cases you will 
succeed in forwarding safely to the Legation in Canada. 

On the other hand, should you be ordered to move from one city to 
another, twenty-five cents per mile will be allowed you on journeys pur- 
formed by rail or by boat; and fifty cents per mile for distances crossed in 
vehicles drawn by horses — all payments to be made to you in gold. In con- 
clusion, I hope, sir, that the confidence the President of the Legation here 
lias placed in you, based upon the recommendation of your recommender, 
will never be betrayed, and the strictest secrecy will be kept by you, should 
you accept or reject this proposition. 

Awaiting your early reply, which, sir, please address to Wm. SibbaUl, sim- 
ply, General Post, Montreal, 

I remain, sir, your most obedient servant, 

Wm. Sibbald, 
Secretary to the Secret Secession Legation, Canada. 
To 0. IkL Dkliblk, Esq., Ogdensburg, New York. 

UoifTKBAXi, Jfay 1, 186S. 

Sib — I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your answer to my communica- 
tion of the 27th ultimo, and I avail myself of this opportunity to tender you 
the thanks of cor President. 



"LEGATION" SCHEMES. 151 

I am aware that the Agency, should you accept it, might become a littl* 
annoying in case of detection ; but no such accident can happen, if secrecy 
be your course of conduct, and much will depend upon yourself whether the 
police agents of \,he United States seize the dispatches. 

The character your benefactor in the United States, who has desired us to 
suppress his name, has given you, has induced us to broach such a subject to 
you. Suffice to say, that his motive is one prompted by the personal esteem 
he entertains for you, and also to have the felicity of withdrawing you from 
your present embarrassihg position. 

The post cannot of course be one except of great lucrativeness, as the 
arrangements made here are very complete, and on a large scale, although 
ntrictly ignored by any stranger to the " Legation^ 

To state positively what you might derive monthly from the agency, is a 
mere impossibility, as no one here is aware of the number of packages the 
"emissary" maybe able to convey; but you can rest a^ured tliat a very 
large income must unavoidably be drawn from it. 

The letters and official dispatches will be in all cases written upon the 
thinnest paper manufactured, to make concealment easier, and in many cases 
will be mere press copies. 

Your remuneration will be paid you by the "emissary" himself, on dfc-. 
livery of the documents, by draft on New York, to an amount equal to gold, 
or, if more convenient and suited to you, in specie. 

Whon ordered to move, sufficient money will be sent you from here, with 
the orders to take you, all expenses paid, to any place chosen and back to 
Ogdensburg, as the latter place will be your headquarters, except you think 
another spot would facilitate the entrance of mails in Canada: this point, 
however, is entirely left to your suggestion. 

The President, in thanking you, wishes me to say that he is well pleased 
with the character he has of you, and that no person is better suited thaa 
you for the fulfillment of his object ; and that, from your honesty, genteel and 
gentlemanlike bearing, you will manage to initiate yourself into the Ameri- 
can agents' favors, and acquire from them valuable information regarding 
the " lookout parties " on the frontier and outlets around Kichmond. 
I remain, sir, your obedient servant, 

"Wm. Sibbald, 
Secretary to the Secret Secession Legation in CanadA. 
To C. M. Dblisle, Esq., Ogdensburg, New York. 

I will be glad to hear your answer on receipt of this, whether the proposi- 
tion is accepted or rejected. 

No pains were spared by these conspirators to impress 
the officers of the Government with the reality of their lying 
scheme to rob its Treasury. In harmony with this cool pur- 
pose and policy, communications were forwarded to individu- 
als anticipating that they would ultimately reach my hands. 
On this point I shall quote certain correspondence with 



152 UOTTED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Captiiin H. B. Todd, provost-marslial of the District of 
Columbia : — 

HRADorABTSBB Pbovobt-Makshal's OmcK, I 
WABaiMQTOM, D. O^ May 20, 1863. ( 

Colonel L. 0. Baker : — 

I am credibly informed that one Charles Michael Delisle, now living in 
l,)gden8bnrg, New York, has made arrangements with the Secret Secession 
i.c-gation, in Montreal, Canada, or with their secretary, "William Sibbald, to 
Convey the rebel mails and dispatches into Canada, as soon as the emissariei 
from Richmond deliver them to him. 

Delisle is paid by this Secret Legation, and now stops at Johnson's Hotel, 
Ogdensburg; of late he has entered his name as F. A. Delisle, instead of C. 
M. My informant has seen his correspondence with said Legation, and read 
his (Delisle's) proposition. 

He has already sent dispatches to Montreal, nndetected, which have been 
forwarded to Messrs. Mason and Slidell, through the mails of the Montreal 
Ocean Steamship Company, and others are very soon expected to go through. 
I am, sir, your obedient servant, 

Hknbt B. Todd, 
Captain and Provost-Marshal 



It is only necessary to add that, on the arrest of Delisle, he 
confessed that there was no "Secret Secession Legation" in 
Canada, so far as he knew, but that the design of the parties 
engaged in the transaction was simply to defraud the United 
States Government ; and, had it not been defeated by the 
vigilance of this bureau, it would have proved, of course, a 
Tery handsome speculation for them. 



CHAPTER X. 

"WEALTHY TRAITORS— FRUITLESS SCEEMBS. 

Jonii H. Waring — His Operations — An EfiBcient Tool — "Walter Bowie — A Wild Careei 
— Bobel Mail — Contrabands — Extracts from the Private Journal of Rebel Spies. 

The insane treason of the Marylanders revealed itself 
very strikingly in an incident which now occurred. 

Mr. John H. Waring, a wealthy and respectable planter, 
residing on the banks of the Patuxent River, had long been 
suspected of assisting the enemy, and devoting his dwelling 
to the secret service of the blockade-runners, spies, and 
mail-carriers of the Confederacy. His family had ever been 
known as tlie most scornful haters of the Federal Govern- 
ment, outspoken, and fearless. The female members of it, 
by their connection with disloyal friends of high standing 
in Baltimore, had special facilities for communicating with 
the South. He, individually, did not enter into the bittei 
denunciations of the Government, owing partly to his ad 
vanced age, and partly to his occupation of time on the 
plantation. 

Walter Bowie, whose family resided in Maryland, and 
whose uncle gave the name to the favorite weapon of the 
chivalry, had early in the struggle cast in his lot with the 
traitors. 

A reckless, unprincipled, and daring young man, with 
considerable culture, he was selected by the Secretary of 
War to act as a spy. Born and brought up in Lower 
Maryland, he was thoroughly acquainted with the country. 

To him are many families there indebted for the loss of 
fathers and sons. He raised, at different times, squads for 
the rebel service, ran across the Potomac and sold on spec n- 
lation ; now with Moseby' s guerrillas, then with the authori- 
ties at Richmond, and soon, perhaps, in Washington. I 
decided, if it were possible, to capture him. Aware that he 

153 



J 54 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

was assisted and concealed by tlie Waring ladies, I directed 
my attention to that quarter. Sending four detectives to the 
house, I ordered them to surround it on a certain night. 
They secreted themselves accordingly, waiting for the dawn, 
the usual way of detour movements. The proximity of the 
men somehow became known to the inmates of the house, 
but every precaution had been taken to prevent escape. 

As the light of day appeared, an aged negro servant left 
the dwelling with a washtub upon her head, and walked 
toward a spring near by for water. Upon her approach, an 
officer stopped her, and inquired about the family. Slie 
could give no information, and was allowed to pass. "When 
sufficient time had elapsed for her return, the detective sus- 
pected that he had been deceived, and taking the path to the 
spring, discovered the tub, and just beyond a horse saddled 
and bridled, tied to a tree. The whole ruse at once flashed 
upon his mind. The venerable negress was no other than 
Walter Bowie. He saw that the horse was watched, and 
went on afoot. 

Chagrined at the defeat of his plan, the officer returned to 
the house, and found, on searching it, the spy's uniform, 
sash, and sabre. It was ascertained later that a daughter 
of Mr. W., Mrs. Ducket, had blackened and dressed Bowie 
for the occasion. A more careful examination of the prem- 
ises led to the discovery of several suits of rebel uniform. 

From this time till autumn he was successfully engaged 
in raids upon defenseless sutlers and unarmed citizens, until 
at last, crossing the Potomac with a company of his asso- 
ciates, went to Sandy Hill, broke open a store, and pillaged 
it. I dispatched a squad in pursuit, and surrounded liis 
camp next morning at Booneville. A skirmish ensued, and 
Bowie was shot with a double charge, and instantly killed. 

The following episode in the darkly romantic history 
flings a lurid light into the "habitations of cruelty" which 
have been protected by the " starry flag" of freedom, reveal 
ing their domestic scenes : — 

OmoB Provobt-Marbhal War nBPARTMWrr, I 

Washington, July 9, 1868. j 

Honorable E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War : — 

Sir — I respectfully submit the following statement, and request further 
directions in the matter. 



CRUELTY TO NEGROES. 157 

On Mouday ThsI, having received information that Walter Bowie, a noto- 
rious rebel and spy, had been on a recent visit to the house of Mrs. Lizzie 
Howie, in Prince George County, Maryland, and also, that subsequent to aaid 
visit, on Sunday night last, a loaded wagon containing clothing had been sent 
from Mrs. Bowie's house to the house of a Mr. Worthington, near the Poto- 
mac, for transmission to Virginia, I detailed a force from this ofBce to inves- 
tigate the matter, and arrest the said "Walter Bowie and any other parties en- 
gaged in disloyal practices. 

Walter Bowie succeeded in evading the search made for him, but it was 
ascertained that on Sunday night a two-horse wagon was sent from Mrs. 
Bowie's house, driven by a colored man named Daniel Grant, and in charge 
of Mr. Contee Warren ; that two large trunks were in said wagon, and that 
the same were taken some miles from Mrs. Bowie's, and then taken from the 
wagon and deposited by the side of the road, and there left, the driver, 
Daniel Grant, stating to the said officers that he understood that said trnnka 
contained clothing, &c., and were intended for Walter Bowie. My officers 
then visited the house of Mr. Worthington, charged with forwarding clothing, 
goods, &c., from Mrs. Bowie's into Virginia. A full examination of his house 
and premises was made, but nothing found of a contraband nature. In the 
process of such examination, my officers, on reaching the garret of Mr. Wor- 
thington's house, found the entrance closed and fastened with a padlock. 
Upon being refused admission, the door was forced open, and, to their surprise 
and horror, found there two almost naked negro girls, chained together by the 
wrists, and exhibiting upon their persons evidences of a most brutal and 
bloody punishment. Their backs were covered with blood, and gashed, as 
with a sharp knife, from the shoulders to the loins, presenting a spectacle of 
horrid cruelty and suffering which words cannot describe. 

One of these girls was owned by Mrs. Lizzie Bowie, and the other by Mrs. 
Worthington ; and it is understood that they had been beaten with a trace 
chain by three men, namely, Mr. Worthington, Contee Warren, and Mr. ITall, 
overseer of Mrs. Bowie, and that Mrs. Bowie had ordered the punishment on 
the girl, who was her slave. I do not understand that any law, human or di- 
vine, confers the right to inflict upon helpless women, black or white, the 
frightful torture borne by these poor and defenseless negro girls. Moved by 
pity, and the hope that speedy justice from the strong arm of the Government 
would be visited upon the cowardly miscreants who have dared to commit so 
mfamous a crime, my officers arrested Mr. Worthington and Contee War- 
ren, and brought them to this city, and they are now in the custody of thi-j 
office until further orders of the War Department are received. I regret to 
Bay that the officers, not feeling authorized to act as liberators, left the negro 
girls chained and bleeding in the garret of Worthington's house. 
Respectfully yours, 

L. 0. Bakkb, 
Provost-Marshal of the War Department 

The captives were released, and, with an expression of 
the deepest gratitude npon their sad faces, they crawled out 



158 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

of the garret, in which they had not room to stand erect, 
only to suffer again. I was informed that one of them was 
soon afterward found in the woods, dead, with marks of tlie 
terrible scourge upon her hody. The only crime of the poor 
girls was, obeying the instinctive lov^e of freedom, fired into 
an irresistible impulse at the sight of the " boys in blue." 

A large rebel mail was found between the beds of Mrs. 
Ducket's room, and specimen packages of blockade gooda 
in transitu from Europe were secreted in diSerent parts of 
the house. Opening the mail, we ascertained that V.r. 
Waring' s mansion had long been the rendezvous of al] who 
served the Southern cause, and a post-office for their cor- 
respondence. 

Waring was conveyed to Washington, and tried by 
militar}^ commission, and sentenced to two years in Fort 
Delaware. On his trial it was shown, that for months he 
had used his horses and wagons to carry rebel recruits to 
the Potomac ; and, even the very night of his arrest, he had 
brought Bowie, in his Confederate dress, to his house for 
concealment. After his conviction, the Secretary of War 
directed that all of his animals and other property should 
be confiscated and sent to Washington. Accordingly, I 
repaired to tlie plantation, and found one hundred and ten 
slaves, impatient to be free. Unwilling to act without in- 
structions, no proclamation of emancipation having then 
appeared in behalf of the millions in bondage, and in sym- 
pathy with our cause, upon appealing to Mr. Lincoln, with 
a detailed account of the case, and saying to him, " I did not 
like to assume the responsibility of their liberation," he char- 
acteristically replied : " Baker, let them alone, and they will 
free themselves!" I took the hint, and returned to the 
plantation, whither 1 had sent forty Government wagons tu 
transport to the capital the confiscated property. 

The more intelligent slaves appointed a committee to 
wait on me, to inquire what action I intended to take in 
their case. I reported my interview with "Massa Linkum,'' 
as they always called him, and his significant remark. It 
was quite sufficient for them. 

The next morning, with my train, I started, but refusetl 
to recognize their escape by affording Government convey- 



WAKING'S ARREST. 159 

ance ; when, in a surprisingly brief time, each family waa 
eeen with the humble stock of domestic furniture packed, 
and ready to follow the wagons of "Massa Linkum." 

Such patient endurance of fatigue, and uncomplaining 
toil, to secure the coveted boon of liberty, I never before 
saw; patience in the pursuit of freedom did "its perfect 
work." 

It was soon known to the neighbors of Waring that iifa 
"servants" were en route to Washington, who gathered 
in large numbers, and, fully armed, demanded from me the 
return of the caravan of laden fugitives. I, of course, re- 
fused to do it. The conviction of Waring, and the taking of 
his property, in my opinion, released the slaves — morally, if 
nut legally. 

They then threatened violence, and even attempted to 
st('p the train. The arrest of the ringleaders quieted the 
mob, and the refugees arrived safely in ^Vashington. 

Waring' s arrest, and the consequences to him, have been 
much criticised, and regarded by the South as an arbitrary 
act ; but Avlien we consider that he, with his entire family, 
were engaged directly in the rebel service, the evidence of 
which was overwhelming, it must appear to all loyal minda 
that the proceeding was justihable, and even necessary. 

I copy extracts from the pages of a private journal of 
the rebel spies captured on the Potomac, which afford a 
glimpse of life in such adventurous service, that will interest, 
I am sure, many of my readers : — 

JAMES R. MILBURN. 

July 23d, 18G3. Crossed tlie Potomac River, from Md. to Ya. 

24th. Virginia Ilouse, Ileatharville, Northumborland Oocnty, Va. ; arrivei^ 
at Union Wharf, Rap River, 8 p. m. 

25lh. Miller's Hotel, soutli side of Rapidan ; started for Richmond in com- 
pany with Captain Cox, of North Va. ; walked to Princea, thirty-five milefl 
from Raj-. 

26th. Breakfasted at Old Church. Arrived in Richmond 4 p. m., Pow 
hatan Hotel • wrote home. 

27lh, Culled on Mr. Barton. 

28th, In Riclimond. "Disconsolate." 

20th. Richmond. 

SOth. Left Richmond for Buffalo Springs, Mecklenburg County, Va , paaaed 
tl»rough Petersburg, Va., and Weldon, N. 0. 



160 FNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

8l8t. Buffalo Springs, 2 p. m. Room 49, Rowdy Row. 

Angust Ist. First impressions of Springs not very pleasing. 

2d. Formed the acquaintance of several pleasant gentlemeo. 

8d. Found more agreeable company. 

4th. Took a long walk in company with Mr. Frank Hobbs, of Md. ; Ulked 
of dear old Maryland. 

5th. Large arrivals; unlimited scope for the study of human nature; to 
me a look, word, or mere motion of body, hand, or head, will often analyre a 
person's character; first impressions are often lasting, and generally correct. 

6th. Each trying to outwit the other. Grouping of nature. 

7th. "Wrote to Captain Carlisle, Moseby's Cavalry, and to my friend E. N. 
Bpiller, Atlanta, Ga. 

8tb. Introduced to Mrs. Paxon, wife of the proprietor of Springs. I have 
closely observed her; think she is well suited to make married life — yes — 
painfully disagreeable. Some talk of the freedom and bliss of persons before 
marriage. If this be true, what is the state of one coupled to a disagreeable 
person ; concentrated hell surely. 

9th. Tried to meditate on a portion of the Bible ; mind unsettled ; thoughta 
like chaflF before the wind. Left cottage for a walk to compose myself. 

10th. Drinking the oozings of human nature. 

11th. Nothing to do ; yot not like Miss Flora McFlimsey, nothing to wear. 

12th. Enjoyed myself by dancing ; find very little intellectual conversation ; 
thus far during my visit have not heard a solid subject discussed. 

18th. Like a butterfly on the wing, pursuing pleasure. 

14th. How various are the classifications of the mind; some appear to h% 
guided by reason, others by a species of brutal instinct. 

15th. As a general thing the visitors seem to be friendly. 

16th. Ladies very agreeable; endeavor to repay their kindness. 

19th. Modesty is a polite accomplishment, and often an attendant upon 
merit ; it wins the hearts of all. None are more disgusting in company than 
the impudent and presuming. 

20th. What a fine place to show a person's breeding. Train up a cMld^ 
&c., &o. 

21st. This day to me is a memorial one, no one can tell my feelings, perhaps 
the thoughts of another one the same ; whether it is a day of folly or happi- 
ness, the future will show. My intention was honest, howsoever this affair may 
terminate , perhaps sympathy was the cause of my action and words. I must 
flay, I do not understand myself in this case. "Wrote a long letter to my friend 
Spiller. 

22d. Miss Lucy A. Merritt, of Brunswick County, "Va., returned to Buffalo ; 
t long walk and confidential talk with her. Having noticed my letter to Mr. 
Spiller, asked to see it. Miss Merritt had no evil intentions when she mode 
this request, this I firmly believe ; I complied with her wish, as it seemed to 
be a teat of friendship. 

2'6i. Placid as a lake, nothing unusual transpired. 

24th. In some young people the milk of human kindness seems long since 
to have curdled- I would advise a little soda to correct the acidity of their 



J. R. MILBURN'8 JOURNAL. 161 

nature. A lady should at all times command her tongue, especially in a publit 
assembly, where a word is au index to intellect and character. 

25th. Nothing extraordinary to-day. 

26th Preparing to leave Buffalo Springs. 

27th. Good-bye, all friends. Confusion to my enemies, if any. 

28th. Left Buffalo for Richmond, Va. ; at Linwood House. 

29th to 31st. Richmond, Va. 

September 1st. Enlisted in the Confederate States Navy. 

2d. Left Richmond, with Captain John W. Hebb, of Louisiana, for a cmiM 
> u the Chesapeake and its tributaries. Left the cars at Milford Station; dined 
at Lloyd's, Caroline County, Virginia; camped at Central Point, Caroline 
County. 

8d. Camped on the Rapidan River, at Mr. Warren's; one meal at 11 p. si. 

4th. Lighton's Ferry, Essex County ; breakfast, dinner, supper, 9 p. m. 

5th. Crossed the Rap. 3^ p. m. ; one meal, 9 p. m. ; camped in the woods. 
Camp Rust, Westmoreland County, five miles from Rap. River. 

6th. Camp Rust ; two meals. 

7th. Received a new supply of arms from Richmond; visited Miss Rust; 
two meals. 

8th. Detailed to go on special duty ; arrested William Hammond, a half- 
breed Indian, for boating Confederate deserters across the Potomac. In camp, 
11 p. M., tired and hungry. 

9th. Camp Rust. 

10th. Broke camp, 10 a. m., for Nomoni River, twenty-five miles dine<^ 
ai the road ; camped in Richmond County. 

11th. Marched all day; camped, 9 a. m. ; one meal. 

12th. Dined at 8 p. m. ; rained all night, half drowned next morning. 

13th. Roasted corn early this morning; went out gunning for something 
to eat, hog, calf, or any thing; nothing procured. 

15th. Went to Nomoni Ferry, 5 p. m. ; duck, crab, corn bread, butter, and 
milk. 

16th. Dined with Miss Arnest. 

17th. Fight between Manning and Fitzgerald ; drew my pistol to shoot 
Fitzgerald, who threatened to strike me, while in charge of camp, with a sword. 
I wisely desisted from the intended blow. Nothing to eat. 

18th. No provisions; sent out a party to forage, no success. 

19th. Killed a hog early this morning. 

20th. All quiet ; truly a placid state. Strolled about e woods as if I had 
DC l.orae. Home is the dearest place on earth, especially rheu it is impossible 
U be there. 

2l8t. Killed another hog. 

22d. On picket, fork of road. 

23d About to break camp. 

24tl Yanks attacked our forces, at Mathias Point, with infantry and gun* 
boats ; shelled us out. 

25th. Moved camp. 

26th. Sick all day. 
11 



162 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVIOK. 

27th, On Nomoni again ; off on an expedition. 

28th. Unwell. 

29th. Feel better. 

80th. Sick. 

October Ist. Still sick, 

2d, Headache, 

8d, In hospital at Bethel M, E, Church. 

4th and 5th. Chill. 

6th to nth. Sick at Mr. Araes'a. 

12th. Colonel BlaokwelFs, on Potomac, 

13th. Crossed to St. Mary's County, last night. 

14th. Patuxent River. 

15th to 17th. Calvert County, Maryland. 

18th. Sharp's Island, 

1 9th to 28th, Tilligman's Island. 

81st. Chills. 

November 1st. Tilligman's Island. 

8(1. Tilligman's Island. Captain Hebb captured last night. 

4th. Yankee cavalry crossed the bay to Fair Haven, A, A, County, 

80th. Cove Point. Cast away, 

December 1st. Cove Point. Boat repaired. 

2d. On the way to the Confederate States, 

22d. Calvert County. Slept in an unoccupied house, 

23d. do. do. do. Nothing to eat. 

29Lh. St. Mary's County. "Went to Rob, Thompson's, cold and hungry , 
wc-ild not let me warm myself, or give me any thing to eat Slept near Poin^ 
No point, 

80th. Took to the woods; afraid of the Yanks. 

81st. In a hogpen; wet and cold, 

January 1st, 186-i. Live in hope that I may safely reach my destination, 
ocafident of ultimate success, though every thing seems to oppose. 

12th. Pasquith's, Yankee raid from Point Lookout. 

14th. do, Yankees gone, 

17th. Co.-inth Church, 

18th and 19th. Heathsville. (18th. Boat stolen.) 

25th. Heathsville, Went to Machota Creek, in woods. 

February 1st and 2d. Heathsville. Yankees about. 

12th. Attempted to cross the Potomoc last night in company with two 
ladies and Charley ; wind fair from S, W., but too heavy ; compelled to turn 
back. Slept at Mr, Bailey G. Haynie's. 

13th. Wind S.S.E. ; at B. G, Haynie's ; crossed the Potomac; rowed from 
Precher* Creek, Va,, to Point Lookout ; sailed to Patuxent River ; laijded 
ladies, 7 a., m, Sunday, 14th. 

15th, Plum Point, Calvert County, Md. Slept in an unoccupied house on 
shore. 



0. W. MILBURN'S JOURNAL. 163 



CHARLES W. MILBURN. 



Jnly 284, 1863. Ran the blockade acrosa the Potomac; a little clondy 
(ftnded at Cone Rive"; slept on the beach the remainder of the night; mos- 
qaitoes very thick, ani large enough to bite through my coat. 

24th. Arrivo.1 at Iloatlisvilie; dined at Virginia Uouse; started at 3 p. m. 
for Union Wharf, on the Rap. River; arrived too late to get across the river, 
remained all night. 

25th, Crossed the river; started for Bowler's ; procured conveyance from 
the ferryman to Millar's; dined at Brown's Hotel; impossible to obtain con- 
veyance to Richmond; after OudiHg a berth in a market- wagon for my bag- 
gage, I came to the conclusion to walk; started at 4 P. m. ; walked to Mr. 
Princess's, seventeen jniles ; remained all night. 

26th. Started at daybreak for Old Church, 10 miles; arrived at 8.30 a. m. 
breakfasted ; arrived at Richmond, 4 p. m. ; Powhatan Hotel ; wrote home. 

27th. Obtained a pass from General Winder, to pass unmolested in the city 
for thirty days; called to see Mr. Barton. 

80th. Left Richmond for Buffalo Springs, Mecklenburg County, Va. ; 
passed through Petersburg, Va., and Weldon, N. 0., and arrived at my desti- 
nation, Slst, at 2 p. M. 

Slst. Occupying room No. 49; prospect very pleasing. 

August 7th. Still at Buffalo, enjoying myself wonderfully; wrote to Cap- 
tain Carlisle, C. S. A., and Mr. Spiller. 

22d. Wrote to Mr. Spiller, Atlanta, Qa. ; Miss Lucy A. Merritt returned 
to Buffalo, stayed till Sunday; had a very pleasant time during her visit. 

Slst. A beautiful day. Received orders from Captain U. to prepare to 
leave Richmond to-morrow morning, under command of Captain Walter 
Bowie, 0. 8. N. 

September Ist. After arriving at the depot, received another order, to 
wait until Wednesday. Went to new R. Theatre; a splendid plot, though not 
well acted. 

2d. Left Richmond on the Fn-d. train, with Captain Walter Bowie, 
twenty-two men in all; dined at Ll^yl's in Caroline County, Va. ; encamped 
at Center Point, Caroline County, Va 

8d. Got sometliing to eat at Sparta, about 11 p. m.; camped on the Rap- 
pahannock River, at Mr. Warren's. 

4th. Camped at Leighton's Ferry, Essex Co., Rappahannock River ; got 
■ome cabbage and bacon about 9 a. m. 

5th. Acting cook under difRculties; crossed the Rap. River, 3.30 p. m. ; 
•upped in Westmoreland County, 9 p. m. ; camped in the woods, on Mr. Rnst'e 
plantation, five miles from Rap. River. 

6th. Breakfasted about 9; corn bread and crackers, commonly called 
"shortcakes;" amused myself by gathering fox-grapes near the camp; cou- 
•tructed a chebang in the new camp. Captain Hebb arrived with arms and a 
guard of eight men ; went to sleep at 9 o'clock. 

7th. Breakfast sent to me by Miss Lizzie Rust ; accepted an Invitation to 
diue at Mr, Rust's ; had quite a pleasant time with ladies. 



164 [JNITED STATES SECRET SEKVIOE. 

8th. Jim, with thirteei. others, detailed, at 8 x. M., to go from camp on 
special duty; they arrived in camp about 11 P. m., with one prisoner, named 
William Hammond, who seemed to be very uneasy; on guard from 12 p. m. 
to 2 o'clock. Beautiful night. 

9th. Left camp with Captain Bowie, to make a reconnoissance; break- 
fasted in camp; returned to camp, about 11 p. m,, tired and hungry; "scone 
uu iho road." 

10th. II. H., a prisoner, started for Richmond in charge of Private Rnsloe , 
broke up camp at 10 a. m. ; started with Captain Bowie for banks of Potr- 
mac, Mathias Point; another party, under Captain U., started for Noraoni 
Kiver; marched all day, without any thing to eat; slept at Mr. McOlanna- 
han's, Machota Greek. 

11th. Marched till about 4 p. m. ; slept at Dr. Ilooes' ; Captain Band and 
myself had quite a pleasant time with the ladies. 

12th. (Japtain B. sent me to "Waterloo, and orders to Lieutenant K., 
0. S. S. C. ; started from W. about dusk, for Mathiaa Point. 

12th. Raining very hard; slept in rain all night without a blanket. 
13th. Capt. B. left abouijt dark, with eight men, for Maryland (beautiful nigat 
for crossing), leaving me in charge of camp. 

14th. Nothing unusual transpired; short of rations; mosquitoes a great 
plague; no sleeping for them. 

15th. Sent out a foraging party; nothing procured. 

16th. Impossible to get provisions; prepared to go into Maryland after 
some. 

17th. "Wind high ; no prospect of crossing to-night ; dined with Mr. Wash- 
ington; sent Phil. Key out to get soinelhiug to eat; obtained very little. 

18th. A slight supper last night ; nothing since, except some green 
corn. 

19th. All quiet on the Potomac ; rmtliing to eat; 8 p. m. crossed the Poto- 
mac (men in full uniform and arms) ; lamlud in Charles County, Md. 

20th. Went, in company with P. K., to visit Dr. 0. ; kindly treated. How 
glad I am to be once more in old Maryland. 

2l8t. This morning two men missing ; supposed to have deserted. 
22d. Heard from Captain B. ; a slight skirmish with the Yanks; prepare 
to return to Virginia. 

23d. Two Confederate prisoners escaped from Point Lookout and came to 
OS to-day. Having procured what we desired, we returned to Virginia. 
Wrote home before leaving Maryland. 

Novel ber 20th. Left Baltimore, 1 A. M., on the steamer John Pentz, iot 
West River. 

21st. Fair Haven, Herring Bay, A. A. County, Md., Medley House. 
22d. Fair Haven. Set out on my journey. 

23d. Plum Point, Calvert County, Md. Breakfasted at a negro hut; slept 
at S. Y. Dorsey's ; rained all night. 

29th. Mr. Bowers. Started for Virginia at dark ; wind overblew me ; 
forced to beach my boat near Cove Point ; slept in woods. 
80th. Cove Point Calvert Count/, Md. 



LETTER TO PEESIDENT LINCOLN. 166 

1 will close this chapter of treason and oppression' g 
crimes, with a letter to the President, which, I need not say, 
elicited all the sympathy and aid the great heart and higli 
position of the President could extend : — 

Offiob Pbovost-Marshai, War Dkpaetmbht, • 
Wasuington, September 80, 1863. ( 

Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States : — 

Sib — I beg leave respectfully to call your attention to the facts set forth 
b«low. 

The colored people, slave and free, of this District and the adjoining coun- 
ties of Maryland, are daily subjected to a more ferocious despotism, and mor« 
flagrant and shameless outrages, than were ever before tolerated by any Gov- 
ernment claiming to be either wise or humane. 

It is well known to you, sir, that large numbers, owned in Maryland, actua- 
ted by a supreme desire to participate in the blessings of freedom enjoyed 
by their fellows in this District, are daily, almost hourly, making attempts to 
wcape from their masters, and fly to this city. 

The slave-owners of Maryland, whose plantations are becoming desolat* 
Dy this constant exodus of their chattels, no longer relying on the protection 
of their own laws and legally constituted authorities, have, in many cases, 
formed themselves into armed bands for the purpose of pursuing and recap- 
turing escaped slaves. 

Parties of slaves, men, women, and children, have been pursued within 
the bounds of this District, have been fiercely assailed and shot down, or re- 
morselessly beaten, and the survivors shut up in prison, or conveyed across 
the Potomac, within the protecting arms of the rebel Confederacy. 

Not less than forty slaves (human beings), by these lawless encounters, 
rere killed ; and I have information, that no less than three dead bodies of 
slaves, thus cruelly slaughtered, are now lying in the woods almost within 
flight of your own homes. 

Not a month since, an armed band of Maryland slave-owners surrounded 
the house of a free negro woman, less than three miles from the Capitol, broke 
open the door, presented loaded pistols to the heads of its frightened inmates, 
and, after exercising all their powers of abuse and insult, took away by vio- 
lence three free negroes. 

Visiting this city, and protected by the assumed authority of Mr. Corarais- 
Boner Cox, these depredators break into the houses of colored citizens, thruRt 
loaded pistols into the faces or terrified women and screaming children, and, 
protected by legal papers, bear oflf their victims to the tender mercies of the 
ash and prison, or the hopeless martyrdom of Southern slavery. 

Along the borders of the Potomac, below this city, male slaves are now 
being mustered in gangs, and sent to Virginia, as contributions by their mas- 
ters to the cause of rebellion ; and if these men make an effort to escape, they 
are pursued and shot down by their unmerciful owners. 

There is now in Marlborough jail, a negro man, whose eyes have been ut- 
terly destroyed b^ a charge of shot fired wantonlT into Ms face ; and, not long 



166 UNITED STATES SECRET SERYIOE. 

•ino«, two colored girla were found chained in the garret of a private Louse, 
In the neighborhood of this city, who, after having been cruelly beattn by 
three men, one of them using a trace chain to indict the blows, were left, with 
their backs one mass o^ festering wounds, to the further horrors of chains and 
darkness. 

An instance has just come to my knowledge, of a negro woman and three 
daughters, owned by a citizen of tliis city still resident here, who were sent to 
Baltimore a few days before the late Emancipation Act was passed, for the 
Bole purpose of evading its provisions. One of these daughters, an intelligerit 
woman, has succeeded in returning to Washington, and is now claimed as a 
sh ve and threatened with seizure through the agency of Mr. Commissioner 
Ocx's summary and illegal writs. 

It can not be that such atrocities will be longer permitted, and that men, 
whose every sympathy is with slavery, and its legitimate offspring, treason, 
shall be longer suffered to visit upon the poor slave the hatred they feel to 
freedom and the Union. 

I respectfully ask for such instructions as shall enable me effectually to 
protect the now helpless victims of the slave-masters' vengeance, and the per- 
jcjed oatha of their friends, official and otherwise, in this city and District. 
I am, sir, your obedient servant, 

L. 0. Baker, 
Oolooel and Provost-Marshal War Department 



CHAPTER XI. 

.SLA 7ERr— PLAYING REBEL GENERAL— FIRST DISTRICT CAVAI^r. 

rhe Qostagea — Mr. Lincoln — Deceiving the Rebels — A Successful Game — Organia* 
tion of the First District Cavalry — Its Servicea 

About this time, one hundred rebel citizens, in Lowei 
Maryland, took possession of two contraband teamsters in 
my employ, and refused to give any account of tlie reclaimed 
])roperty. I immediately arrested and confined two of the 
leaders, and put them in the Central guard-house, Washing- 
ton, as hostages, till the former were returned. The indigna- 
tion, at my assumption that a negro was equal to a white 
man — especially to one of the chivalry — was intense. An 
appeal was made to Mr. Lincoln, and I was summoned to 
report in person to him, which I cheerfully did. 

lie said: "Well, Baker, you think a white man is as 
good as a colored man ?" 

I assured him that in this case, at least, I did ; and pro- 
\ osed to keep the gentlemen in prison till the free negroes 
were returned. 

The President acquiesced in the justice of the arrange 
ment, and, soon after, the contrabands were restored, and the 
insulted, excited prisoners set at liberty, to the great relief 
of tlieir friends, and amusement of the irreverent " Yan- 
kees," who could not see the superiority of Southern bluod. 

I shall notice here some incidents which will forcibly 
show the self-sacrifice of the Maryland secessionists, who 
\v»M*e vastly in the majority, along with the more important 
and melancholy truth, that the rebellion could never have 
suixeeded without the sympathy and assistance of "North- 
ern friends." In addition to these facts, the means somts- 
Umes necessary to ascertain who were disloyal, will also be 
apparent. 

A few days previous to the rebel Generals Stuart and 

167 



168 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Early's raid into Pennsylvania, I liad the following paper 
prepared : — 

To TRE Friknps op thk South : — 

The Confederate army ia now on your border. The Stars and Bars can 
be seen from your hills. The hirelings of the North are fleeing before us! 
We want your aid. Wo want horses, mules, and wagons. Seventy artillery 
horses are needed for our batteries. The bearers of this appeal are autho- 
rized by me to accept of contributions. If I receive the re<iuired aid, I will 
pledge myself that our flag shall float, within ten days, from the C^tpitol in 
Wa&liington. 

(Signed) J. E. B. Stuart, 

O. S. Cavalry. 

With this sounding proclamation in my pocket, I reached 
that garden of Maryland, " Middletown Valley," a few milea 
north of Harper's Ferry. Upon making application to the 
leading — to tlie principal secessionists, and exhibiting the 
paper, the highest expressions of patriotism greeted it. Prop- 
erly and life were at my disposal. And it was suggested 
tc me that a secret meeting be called, to afford all the oppor- 
tunity to contribute. 

The hour came ; and I was introduced to those present 
as a Confederate officer who had ventured over the Potomac. 
By this means a correct list of all those who were openly 
or secretly the emissaries of Jeff. Davis, with the names of 
those who contributed horses, was made out, and the next 
day I called at their residences. After selecting the best, I 
left the animals in the hands of the owners, to be called for 
subsequently. Meanwhile, during the few days I continued 
in the valley, I learned the strength, resources, and condi- 
tion of the rebel cause there. I then went around and gath- 
ered up the horses, and, with many warm benedictions upon 
my head, left with sixteen of the choicest horses the region 
afforded. That night I started for Washington, and the suc- 
ceeding day I turned them over to the quartermaster's de- 
partment. They afterward did good service on the battle- 
field for the Union cause. 

The information I obtained, respecting the forward move 
ment of the enemy, was followed by General Hooker's cele- 
brated march toward Gettysburg, during which he was 
relieved by General Meade ; and the inference is legitimate, 



FIRST DISTRICT OAYALRT. 171 

that it had no Tinimportant bearing npon tlie great and 
decisive struggle, which saved us from a disastrous if not a 
fatal invasion. 

Some two months later, several of the former owners of 
the horses appeared in Washington, and demanded the resto- 
ration of their property. Of course, the animals themselves 
were comparatively of no consequence, but the intelligence, 
of which they were made the occasion, was invaluable. The 
claimants were pointed to the proclamation, their prompt 
response to which, was no less the evidence of disloyalty 
because it was a lure instead of txeason's actual demand. 

The importance of the bureau, and its rapidly accumula- 
ting business, rendered a military force, exclusively undei 
my control, a necessity. Scarcely a day passed without some 
occurrence calling for cavalry troops to execute orders. 
Accordingly, the Secretary of War issued an order creating 
me colonel, and authorizing me to raise a regiment of cavalry. 

Wab Department, "WASmNOTON, June 29, 1S53. 

Sir — Yon are hereby informed that the President of the United States hai 
appointed you colonel of the First Regiment District of Columbia Cavalry, in 
the service of the United States, to rank as such from the twenty-ninth day of 
June, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three. 

Immediately on receipt hereof, please to communicate to this department, 
through the Adjutant-General of the army, your acceptance or non-accept- 
ance; and, with your letter of acceptance, return the oath herewith inclosed, 
properly filled up, suhscriied, and attested, and report your age, birthplace, 
and the State of which you were a permanent resident. You will report foi 
duty to — 

Edwin M. Stanton, 
Colonel L. C. Baker, Secretary of War. 

First Regiment District Columbia Cavalry. 

Previous to this, being only a citizen, I was viewed iL 
the light of no more than a civil agent. To obviate the 
hinderance in official service the fact interposed, I received 
tlie commission. Immediately I had thousands of applica- 
tions from men who desired to serve in my battalion. It 
was my desire to organize a corps of intelligent, moral, send 
worthy men. So common had it become, in raising regiments, 
to sell commissions to the highest bidders, that it was a 



172 imTTED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

matter of regular traffic. This did more to demoralize an* 
bring into disrepute our whole volunteer service than any 
other single wrong. 

At the outset of the war, morality and fitness wJre seldom 
considerations in the selection of officers. I have seen vol 
unteer companies, and even regiments, under the command 
of those whose capacity and character were inferior to the 
majority of the privates in the ranks. For illustration of 
this method of getting commissions, I add the subjoined 
communication, in answer to an offer of one hundred dollars 
for a place in my regiment : — 

OmoB Pbovost-Marshai, Wab Drpartmbnt, \ 
Wasuinqtoh, May 18, 1S68. J 

Mr, J. F. SrsGHi, Company D, Fourth Maine Regiment, 

Army of tlie Potomac : — 
Sir — Your letter, offering one hundred dollars in gold for a commission in 
my battalion of cavalry, has been received. It is my intention to recruit 
hone»t men, and not rogues. With this explanation, you will at once perceive 
that you are entirely ineligible for service under my command, eitlier a<i 
officer or private. (Signed) L. 0. Baker, 

Provost-Marshal War Department. 

The regiment was a splendid body of troops, and achieved 
all that was anticipated from it ; and its services will appeal 
at intervals during the progress of the war. 

Much of the service performed for the country will nevei 
be written. The detachments of men moving stealtliily ovei 
the lines of encampment and battle ; guarding me or my 
subordinates in perilous adventures ; and other quiet, un- 
heralded, and unreported duties, will have no record but the 
pages of memory, and, with the death of the actors in the 
varied scenes of such a life, be forgotten. 

But since this volume has been in progress of prepara- 
tion for the press, a history of the troops whom, I may be 
permitted to say here, I was proud to command, has been 
published by their former chaplain, the Rev. S, fl. Merrill, 
of Portland, Maine. 

The chaplain states, correctly, that this regiment wa8 
organized to remain on duty within the limits of the District 
of Columbia. The entire military force of the District had 
faUed to check the operations of Mosby' s band. I pledged 



FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. 173 

mysexf to the Secretary of War that, if he would give me 
permission to raise a battalion of cavalry, I would drive 
from the region the rebel chief. 

After the troops were raised, and armed with six-shooters, 
they became the object of intense and unjust sus})icion on 
the part of the commanding officer of the Department of 
\Vasliington and West Virginia, founded on the apprehen 
sion tiiat his military honors would be periled by the suc- 
cesses of the brave men who were to range freely through 
Western Virginia. 

The Secretary of War had so much confidence in the 
battalion, that he authorized the purchase of the best horsea 
that could be procured in the country, and remarked that 
the Government could afford to pay the expense of main- 
taining the force, if for no other reason than the powerfully 
restraining influence upon disloyalty and crime in the 
District. 

The legitimate duties of the battalion were so constantly 
embarrassed by orders emanating from the department com- 
mander, that I decided to ask the Secretary of War to increase 
it to a full regiment of twelve hundred men. The request 
was granted, and eight additional companies were raised in 
the State of Maine, under the direction of its patriotic Gov- 
ernor Coney, whose services during the rebellion will always 
be gratefully remembered by the loyal North. 

On the completion of the organization of the regiment, I 
lequested that it should be sent to some distant field of 
action. Tlie deeply seated prejudice in the minds of the 
officers of the Potomac army against my bureau, convinced 
me that my troops would there have small opportunity to 
display their ability and heroism. When I had occasion to 
scrutinize some of their acts, a major-general remarked to 
me, during a visit to the front, in regard to the injustice of 

which I had complained, "Your men are a set of d d 

spies, and ought to be killed ; and the ollicers of the regi- 
ment are detectives in disguise, reporting to you whatever ia 
said by the army commanders." Even the long raids, the 
tights with Mosby's men in Northern Virginia and Mary- 
land, have scarcely an allusion made to them by any of the 
&rmy officers oj reporters. For nearly two years the regi 



174 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

meut accompanied nearly every raid made "by the cavalry 
along the front of the Potomac army. 

It formed the advanced guard of General Kautz's raid 
from Norfolk to the Weldon Railroad. At Notavay Bridge, 
Reams' Station, and other points, it is a matter of official 
record, tliat this body of troops did three-fourths of all the 
fighting. My urgent request to be relieved from duty in 
Washington, and allowed to lead my regiment to the arena 
of battle, was refused by the Secretary of War, and the 
active command was given to Lieutenant-Colonel E. J. 
Conger, who had no superior in the qualities of a brav« 
chieftain. 

Before he assumed his duties, he had been wounded 
three times, and twice left on the field for dead. At the 
time of Wilson's celebrated raid, he was again shot through 
the body, and carried from the scene of carnage by his 
orderly. 

Major J. S. Baker, next in rank, commanded the regi- 
ment until the close of the war. A more brilliant record 
than his has never fallen to the lot of a young officer, 
lie entered the service, with the organization of the regiment, 
as Captain of Company A, which he commanded, until the 
addition of the Maine companies, in all the celebrated scouta 
and raids. While a student at Madison University, in 
Wisconsin, at the beginning of the rebellion, he left hia 
books for his country's service. He was the first Federal 
officer that entered Lynchburg, after its surrender by Lee. 

Major D. S. Curtis, of the same State, next in command, 
was also a truly brave, discreet, and worthy officer. Hia 
coolness in battle was the theme of general remark among 
the officers of the entire brigade. 

A more complete and interesting history of the regiment 
has been written while this volume has been in press, by 
the Rev. S. H. Merrill, chaplain of the regiment. From 
these annals I shall quote the history of the regiment in its 
general outline of achievement — the more freely, because 
written by another, who gives to the brave troopers the 
honors which they so richly won. I shall give the con- 
densed narrative uniform with my own records, with this 
credit for it awarded to the worthy chaplain : 



FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. 175 

The First District of Columbia Cavalry was composed of 
a fine body of men. A single battalion, raised in the District 
of Columbia, for special duty at the seat of Government, un- 
der command of Colonel L. C. Baker (Provost-Marshal of 
the War Department), and familiarly known as "Baker' a 
Mounted Rangers," formed the nucleus of this regiment. 

Long will "Baker's Cavalry" be remembered in Wash- 
ington, and through a wide region around, as the " ^error of 
evil-doers." 

To this command eight companies were added in 1863, 
embracing about eight hundred men enlisted in Maine, so 
that it became, to this extent, a Maine organization. 

No charge of bad faith is intended, nor is it known who 
was responsible for the change of the original destination of 
the regiment, if any change there was ; but it is due to the 
men from Maine, and due to historic truth, to record the fact 
that they enlisted under the distinct assurance that they 
would never be required to serve outside the District of Co- 
lumbia ; and if the command was in no degree demoralized 
by the subsequent disappointment of the men, in being sent 
to the front, and being placed in the most perilous positions 
there, it is all the more to their credit. 

Company D, numbering one hundred and forty men, un- 
der command of Captain J. W. Cloudman, left Augusta on 
the 22d day of October, 1863, and arrived at Camp Baker, in 
Washington, on the 25th. 

The three officers of this company were commissioned by 
the Piesident of the United States, while those of the othei 
companies from Maine were commissioned by the Governoi 
of Maine. 

A few days after its arrival in Washington, the company 
was ordered to Anandale, ten miles west of Alexandria, 
where it remained on duty, under command of Lieutenant 
Howe, till the 27th of January, when it was ordered with the 
battalion to Yorktown. 

Embarking on board the steamer Conqueror^ it arrived at 
Yorktown on the 28th, and went into camp about two miles 
from the city, on the bank of the beautiful York River. A 
morning so summer-like and scenery so charming, few of oni 
men had ever seen before in mid-winter. 



176 UNTTED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

The next day they moved about right miles west, and 
went into camp about three miles from Williamsburg. 

January 30th, at daybreak, the bugle sounded "boots 
and saddles," and in half an hour they were off on a raid. 

If tlie reader should ask what this means, the answer 
would be, it means an armed expedition into the enemy's 
country, for the purpose of gaining information, or of cap- 
turing or destroying public property, or both, always 
respecting private property, excepting so far as "military 
necessity" requires its capture. 

In the raid just referred to, the men marched about twelve 
miles, and returned to camp with nothing of special interest 
to report. 

An expedition was made to Bottom Bridge, on the Chick 
ahominy, twelve miles from Richmond, on the 5th, 6tli, 7tli, 
and 8th of February, which will not soon be forgotten by the 
men who participated in it. They did little fighting, but 
much liard work. From the time they left camp, on the 
5th, till they returned, on the 8th, they were hardly out of 
the saddle. 

This regiment was distinguished by the superiority of the 
carbines w'(h which it was armed. It was the only regiment 
in the army of the Potomac armed with " Henry's Repeating 
Rifle." Tlie peculiarity of this gun is, that it will fire six- 
teen sliots without reloading. It is cocked by the same 
movement of the guard that opens and closes the breech — 
the exploded cartridge being withdrawn and a fresh one 
supplied at the same time and by the same movements. The 
copper cartridges are placed in a tube, extending the entire 
length of the barrel, on the under side. From this they are 
fed into the gun by the operation of the lever guard ; mean- 
time a spiral spring forces down the cartridges as fast as they 
are discharged. The whole device is of the simplest nature. 
The work is strong, and the whole thing is so nearly perfect, 
that it is difficult to conceive of any improvement. Tiie sub- 
sequent history of this regiment proves it to be a terribly 
effective weapon. Fifteen shots can be given with it in ten 
seconds. Thus, a regiment of one thousand men would fire 
fi fteen thousand shots in ten seconds. After having witnessed 
ll e effectiveness of this weapon, one is not surprised at the 



FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. 177 

remark, said to have been made by tlie guerrilla chief, Mosby, 
after an encounter with some of our men, lAat "he did not 
care for the common gun, or for Spencer's seven-shooter, but 
as for these guns, that they could wind up on Sunday and 
shoot all the week, it was useless to light against them." 

Ou the 16th of February, Company F was mounted, and 
remained at Camp Baker, engaged in daily drilling until the 
7th of April. At that date it left Washington for Norfolk, 
and the next day joined a squadron of the old battalion on 
picket at Great Bridge. 

On the I'ltli the company marched to Deep Creek, where 
't was joined by three companies of the old battalion, already 
referred to as having been on picket duty at Newport News. 

These companies remained here on picket duty until the 
organization of the cavalry division, under General Kautz, 
two weeks later. 

On the 5th of May they marched with the cavalry divi 
sion under Kautz, on his first raid. The object of these raidg 
was twofold, viz. : to weaken the enemy by destroying pub- 
lic property, and by drawing off detachments in pursuit. A 
successful raid requires a judicious selection of routes, rapid 
marches, short halts, and sudden and unexpected blows. In 
this service, General Kautz was "the right man in the right 
place." 

In this movement he had passed through Suffolk and 
crossed the Black Water (wliere his march could have been 
easily arrested by destroyiniz the bridge), before the enemy 
became aware of his purpose. At half-past two o'clock on 
the afternoon of the 7th, he had marched a distance of sev- 
enty miles, and struck the Weldon Railroad just in time to 
intercept a body of rebel troops on their way to Petersburg. 
A thunderbolt from a clear sky could hardly have been 
more astounding to the enemy. Instantly he was attacked. 
In an incredibly short time the action was over, the enemy 
was whipped, the railroad was cut, the public buildings 
were in flames, and the gallant Kautz was again on his 
march, with some sixty prisoners in his train. 

Turning southward, the march was continued to the 
point where the railroad crosses the Notaway River. Here 
an obstinately contested fight took place in which U\e |^-< l- 
u 



178 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVIOK 

lant Lieutenant Jackson, of Company E, fell mortally wound- 
ed. Here, too, fell a brave private, Samuel de Laite. 

In this engagement, as in others, the bravery of the men, 
and the efficiency of their sixteen-shooters, were put to the 
proof. 

Major Curtis was ordered to deploy his battalion aa 
skirmishers, and charge a much larger force of the enemy, 
along the railroad, near the bridge. It was a covered bridge, 
and the rebels soon ran to it for shelter. Our brave boys 
charged boldly after them, driving them through and into 
their fortilications on the other side, killing some and taking 
several prisoners, with small loss on our side. Some of the 
prisoners said they "thought we must have had a whole 
army, from the way the bullets flew." 

One lieutenant asked if we "loaded up over night and 
then fired all day." He said "he thought, by the way the 
bullets came into the bridge, they must have been fired by 
the basketful." 

The result of the affair was that the bridge was burned, 
and Kautz was again on the march, with forty rebel prison- 
ers added to his train. 

The immediate object of tht expedition having been 
accomplished, the command marched to City Point. Cross- 
ing the Appomattox on the 10th, they encamped for a day 
near General Butler's head <iuarters. Twenty-four hours, 
however, had not elapsed, wiicu the division moved again 
on another raid, which proved to be one of the most hazard- 
ous and effective of the war. During the time that General 
Butler's forces were engaged with the enemy, between Ber- 
muda Hundred and Kichmond, General Kautz adroitly 
slipped through the lines, and again boldly dashed into the 
heart of Dixie. 

He passed rapidly through Chesterfield County, pausing 
at the court-house only long enough to open the jail and lib- 
erate two prisoners. 

As we dislike to be laughed at, the reader may pass over 
the following explanatory statement : — 

One of these prisoners was a woman, who refused to 
leave the jail after the doors were opened, seeming to doubt 
the authority of the Yankees to discharge her. The other 



FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. 179 

Stated that lie had been imprisoned on account of his Union 
sentiments, and seemed very grateful to his ^-\'^^'^'^'^^ 
few hours later, however, he disappeared from the column, 
takino- with him the horse and equipments with which he 
had been kindly furnished, and forgetting to give notice of 
his intended route. The loss of the horse, however, was 
subsequently made up. A rebel, living not far from our 
encampment, had a valuable animal, which he was very 
particular to declare should never be taken from him.^ Ac- 
cordingly he armed himself, and took up Ins lodgings m the 
stable But he must needs sleep, and the boys knew it ; and 
it so happened that he opened his eyes one morning on an 
empty stall. Certain words were spoken, decidedly more 
energetic than pious, but they did not bring the horse back 

Leaving the court-house, the column moved on to Coal- 
field Station, on the Danville Railroad, thirteen miles west 
from Richmond. On the arrival of the troops, at about halt- 
past ten in the evening, the inhabitants ^ve^^/^^^P^'!^^^ , ^^^j^^ 
alarmed quite out of their propriety. That the Yankees 
should have had the audacity to visit that section seemed 
actually incomprehensible. But there was no remedy _ 

Instantly, guards were posted on all the roads leading to 
and from Petersburg and Richmond, and the work of the 
hour was hardly begun before it was ended. No harm was 
done to persons, or to private property, but the railroad was 
destroyed, the telegraph came down, and trains ot cars, 
depot buildings, and large quantities of Government stores, 

went up in smoke. , j_ -, -^ ^p 

On the 12th, the "history of this affair" repeated itself 
at i5iack's andAVhite's Station, on the South side Rfilroad 
thirty miles west from Petersburg, and forty from Coalfield 
Station. The railroad was torn up, and the te egraph torn 
down, while the depot buildings, together with large quanti- 
ties of corn, and flour, and meal, and tobacco, and salt, 
designw^d for the rebel army, were subjected to the action ot 
tire, and resolved into their original elements. 

WellviUe Station, five miles east, on the same railroad, a 
few hours later, shared a similar fate. The column now 
moved in the direction of BelleSeld, on the Weldon Rad- 
road AVhen within two miles of that place, General Kauta 



180 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

learned that the enemy was in force to receive him. As his 
object was not so much to fight as to weaken the enemy, by 
interrupting his communications and destroying his supplies, 
he avoided an engagement, turning to the left from Belle- 
field, and marching, via Jarratt's Station, to the Notaway 
River. 

When the advance reached Freeman's Bridge, on this 
river, at ten o'clock r. m., it was discovered that the whole 
command was in a trap. One span of the bridge, forty feet 
in length, had been cut out. The river, for a considerable 
distance, was unfordable. The fords, above and below, 
were strongly guarded, and the enemy was gathering in 
force in the rear. The position was not a desirabte one. 
The river must be crossed, or a battle must be fought on the 
enemy's chosen ground, where little was to be gained, but 
where every thing must be hazarded. A major of a New 
York regiment, commanding the advance, declared that the 
bridge could not be made passable before the afternoon of 
the next day. But on the assurance of Captain Howe, that 
it could be done in a much shorter time. Company D was 
ordered up and told what was wanted. AVorking parties 
were instantly organized. In a short time,> tall pines in the 
neighboring woods had fallen before the axes of one party, 
'AT d stalwart men, by means of the drag-ropes of a battery, 
had drawn them out. Another party had, in the mean time, 
crossed the river on a little float they had fortunately found, 
and stood on the remaining part of the bridge on the other 
side. The ropes were thrown to them, and the string-pieces 
were drawn across the chasm and placed in position. To 
cover them with rails was but the work of a few moments, 
and in less than three hours from the time the Maine boys 
began the' work it was completed, and the column passed 
over in safety. 

The division reached City Point on the 19th. During the 
last nine days it marched, on an average, twenty hours out 
of the twenty -four, leaving only four hours for rest. It wiU 
hardly be believed, that in some instances hunger compelled 
the men to eat raw corn like their horses, but such was the 
fact. 

On this raid they cut the Richmond and Danville and 



FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. 181 

riontliside Railroad iu six different places, and iuflictfd as 
aiDount of damage upon the enemy's communications and 
finny stores wliicli told severely upon them afterwai'd. 

On their arrival at City Point, both men and horses were 
much exiiausted. On the 20th the command crossed again to 
lierinuda Hundred, and went into camp about a mile from 
(he river. 

On the 7th of April we embarked on board a fine steamer, 
witli a pleasant company, for Fortress Monroe, where we 
arrived at an early hour next morning. For many years 
Fortress Monroe had been to us a familiar name, but we 
were not long in discovering that the descriptions of it and 
its surroundings as they were, conveyed no correct idea of 
them as they are. 

Then, there was little to be seen save the formidable walla 
of the old fort, rising from the sand and rocks, at the dis- 
tance of a few rods from the water's edge, and the solitary 
sentry, slowly pacing the lofty parapet ; while scarcely a 
liuman voice broke the tomb-like silence of the place. 

Now, a busy scene was presented. Numerous newly con- 
structed piers had been pushed out into the sparkling waters 
of the bay, and the grounds outside the walls were occupied 
with a curious and compact group of buildings of rude archi- 
tecture, clearly designed for temporary use. The scene on 
the wharf was one of unusual animation and of picturesque 
effect. Looking down from the hurricane deck, we beheld a 
sea of faces, and could not well preserve our gravity as we 
marked the curious variety it presented. 

There was the brown-visaged man in dusky gray, the 
worse for wear, the seedy representative of an humbled aris- 
tocracy, and there was the lean, lank, sallow, dirty, han;^- 
dog specimen of the " poor trash" of the South. There were 
heads adorned with handkerchiefs of many brilliant colors, 
and heiids that had no covering but wool. There were pre- 
posterous bonnets and stove-pipe hats, with a " smart sprink- 
ling" of military and naval headgear. There were rich silk 
dresses and tow frocks. There was crinoline of enormous 
proportions, and there were flat feet peering from beneath it, 
perfectly innocent of either shoes or stockings 

It was a motley group — big and little, old and young. 



JS2 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

fcivil and military. While all were "busy and animated, It 
was easy to see that the whites of southern blood felt least at 
home, while the negroes were in their element. They talked 
the most, made the best show of white teetli, and, of all we 
•could see, seemed decidedly the most comfortable. 

There is truth in the old adage, that "it is an ill wind 
hat blows nobody any good." While the "red tape" busi- 
ness was drawing its " slow length along," some of us took 
■a stroll out to Hampton, or rather to the site of that ancient 
■and om-e pleasant village. 

It was but a short walk, leading, for the most part, 
through a collection of Government storehouses, and huta 
and tents so disorderly in their arrangements as to suggest 
the idea of reading the riot act without delay. On the way 
we noticed one or two handsome ])laces, among them the 
;residence of the Hon. Mr, Segar, surround(»d by venerable 
trees, and commanding as charming a scene as one could 
•dt^sire, in the beautiful expanse of Hampton Roads, dotted 
with white sails and stirred by innumerable paddle-wheels. 
AVe next came to the McClellan Hospital, with its outlying 
•wards and its broad and beautiful gardens. 

Hampton was reached by crossing a bridge about four 
hundred paces long. Before the rebellion it was a jewel of 
a village, embosomed in noble trees, which threw their wel 
come shade over the streets and ample grounds which fionted 
the tasteful residences. 

Hampton was settled ten years after Jamestown, and 
was, at the time of its destruction, the oldest Anglo-Saxon 
settlement then inhabited in the United States. Now it is a 
scene of utter desolation, inhabited almost exclusively l)y 
blacks. With the exception of an occasional grocery stoi-e, 
and a very few dwellings of a more respectable apjiearaiice, 
the residences were of the rudest description, nearly all of 
(/lie room, and situated as if they had been thing out of a 
gieat architectural leather apron. 

The "Old Church," cruciform in shape, and colonial in 
date, presented a singularly picturesque appearance, and 
was almost the only object about the town which indicated 
its former condition. The tower, from which a noble old 
bell once pealed out its mellow tones had fallen into a heap 



FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. 183 

of nibbish at the western end of the cross, while massive 
walls rose aloft in gloomy grandeur, A wilderness of young 
aspens and willows, with here and there a dense growth of 
hardy roses, disputed the possession of some once cherished 
graves, with a savage intrusion of undergrowth. Fragraenta 
of tombs, some with armorial blazonry, were scattered ab(.'ut, 
and the whole place bore sad evidence of the terrible scourge 
if war. Nor could we resist the conviction that the peopl 
who have thus felt it will be slow to invoke it again. 

Failing of the main object of our expedition, partly, per- 
haps, from our want of acquaintance with the occult science 
of ''red tape," we^ returned to Washington, and were there 
mustered into service, under a special order of the War De- 
partment. 

On the 12th of May these six companies, still unmounted, 
and having drilled only on foot, were ordered to Fortress 
Monroe. Leaving Washington the next afternoon on board 
of transports, after touching at Fort Monroe, we proceeded 
to iSTorfolk, and, reporting to Genei-al Shepley, were ordered 
to Portsmouth, where we disembarked and went into camp 
in the rear of the town. 

On the morning of the 22d we re-embarked on board a 
transport for James River. Dropping anchor about sunset, 
opposite Fort Pcwhattan, we passed the night quietly under 
the protection of the guns of the Atlanta. This craft will be 
remembered as the strange sea-monster designed by the reb- 
els to destroy the blockading fleet off Charleston harbor, but, 
by a higher power, to do good service for the Government. 
One of the boys thought it "looked like the devil." An- 
other could see no such resemblance, but said it "looked 
like a big sea turtle on a raft, with his ' hack up.^ " 

A short run of about a dozen miles, the next morning, 
took lis to Bermuda Hundred, where we disembarked, and 
went into camp about a mile from the landing, beside the 
oth»^r six companies. The regiment was now together for 
liie fiist time. 

At one o' clock a. m. of the 24th, one battalion was ordered 
to City Point, to take the place of a detachment which had 
been sent to Fort Powhattan. That fort, manned by colored 
troops, had been attacked bv a considerable forco under Fita 



184 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Hngli Lee. They were, however, galhinvly repulsed, and, 
before the arrival of the reinforcements, had reti-eated, and 
the battalion returned. 

General Butler, commanding the army of the James, c<m- 
sisting of tlie tenth and eigliteenth army corps, had taken 
possession of City Point and Bermuda Hundred on the 5th 
iustant, greatly to the surprise of the enemy. 

Ilis fortifications extended from the Point of Rocks, on 
the Appomattox, northwardly to near Dutch Gap, on the 
James River, a distance of about five miles. 

General Grant was fighting his way to the south side of 
the James. The bloody battles of the Wilderness and of 
Spottsylvania Court-House had been fought, and an order 
was received by General Butler, for the eighteenth corps to 
proceed to the White House, to co-operate with the Army 
of the Potomac. 

On the 25th this corps left, and the cavalry, acting as 
infantry, was ordered to the front to take their places in the 
intrenchrnents. 1'he position of this regiment was about mid- 
way of the line, between tlie two rivers, in an open field and 
on level ground. The tents were pitched a few rods in the 
rear of the breastworks, and with no i)rotection frum the 
shot and shell of the enemy. 

The enemy held a formidable line of works in our front, 
varying in distance from half a mile to two miles. Dii-ectly 
in front of our camp, at the distance of about foi-ty lods froin 
our main line of works, a thick wood prevented us from see- 
ing the enemy's position. A little to our right, the conntiy 
was open, and there, on an eminence some eighty rods in 
advance of our breastworks, we had a small redoubt, known 
as Fort Pride, defended by a section of a battery, and coju- 
manded by Captain Pride, an aitillery ofT^j'r, from whom it 
took its name. 

Company M, Captain Sargent commanding, was stationed 
In this fort as an artillery support. A portion of the regi- 
mejit was constantly on picket, in front of our main line of 
works. We were to hold this line. It wps here that the six 
companies referred to as having recently reached the front, 
loaded their pieces for action for the first time : and it wag 



FIKST DISTRICT CAVALRY. 185 

tiere that tlie pluck of the men and tlie efliciencj'" of their 
'ifims were first put to the test. 

The enemy shelled ns nearly every day from behind hia 
'Teastworks, and though we received no damage, still jf 
'ivid recollection is retained of the shelling. The guns o/ 
the enem3% on a part of his line, were trained on the redoubt 
and when the shells failed, as they often did, to explode D\ 
the point intended, they came directly into our camp, tht 
Wl itAvorth whistling with a sound like that produced by 
the wing of a pigeon swiftly cutting the air — others scream- 
ing over our heads or tearing up the ground. In one in- 
stance, the fusee of a shell was Mown out and struck jt 
colored boy in the face, but inflicted no serious injury. 
Some of the boys proposed to wash his face, to see if the 
flight had not bleached him. The humor of these people h 
^^ irrepressible^ When the fusee whisked across this fel- 
low's face, he opened his eyes wide, and seeing a friend, 
exclaimed, "By golly, Bill, clid you see dat ar snipe?" 

"Yah, yah, yah," exclaimed the other, "you nigger. 1 
ret^kon you wouldn't like to have dat ar snipe pick you." 

At three o'clock a. m. of the 28th, the rebels opened on 
ns with artillery, all along the line, and the whole force was 
ordered to "fall in." It was supposed they were about to 
assault our works. Drawn up for the first time in close line 
of battle, a few paces from the breastworks, in anticipation 
of a bloody conflict, the whole beaiing of the men was sucb 
as to make their gallant commander proud of them. When 
all was ready, as the intrepid Colonel Conger mounted on 
old "Barne}^" as his war-horse was called, the inevitable 
pipe in mouth, puffing as quietly as if sitting at his tent-door, 
the chaplain passed along in front of the line with words of 
cheer to the men. As he told them what was expected of 
them, and that he trusted they would give a good account 
of themselves in the coming conflict, they answered with the 
utmost enthusiasm, "We will. Chaplain, we will; that is 
what we came here for. We will do it." The expected as- 
sault, however, was not made, and three hours later they 
returned to their quarters. 

On the picket line the time did not entirely pass without 
enlivening incidents. An oflBlcer, one night, discerned a sua- 



186 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

picious Jooking object moving stealthily toward our fortifi 
cations. Making a detour, lie got into its rear unperceived, 
and soon discovered that it was a man, reconnoitering our 
works. By cautions movements, now stepping behind tliis 
tree, and now crouching behind that stump, still when the 
game was still, and moving quickly when it moved, he suc- 
ceeded in getting sufficiently near, when, taking delibrrato 
aim, he roared out, "Lay down." Disarmed and brought 
in, the captive proved to be a lieutenant in the rebel service 

On the 30th, the thunder of artillery all day gave us a 
welcome intimation that General Grant was coming. Beyond 
incidents like these, nothing occurred worthy of note till the 
4th of June. 

The part of the picket line which extended along in front 
of our camp, from left to right, about one mile, was held by 
our regiment. On our right, the line extending on in fr )nt 
of Fort Pride, and some distance beyond, was manned by 
another regiment. Before daybreak on the morning of the 
4th, the enemy commenced a furious shelling, which was 
continued till svinrise. Meantime he had thrown out a strong 
line of skirmishers to attack our pickets on the left, for the 
purpose, doubtless, of diverting attention from the point at 
which he intended to strike. The attack was sudden and 
vigorous, but the reserve rallying promptly, Avith their su])e- 
rior arms, the enemy was repulsed. The skirmishing con- 
tinued, however, till about nine o'clock, when a regiment of 
South Carolina troops left their intrenchments, further to our 
right, and advanced on Fort Pride with a yell peculiarly 
their own. The pickets of the regiment referred to left their 
posts and came in. 

Captain Sargent at once sent out twenty-one men, under 
command of Lieutenant Blethen. This small party, taking 
advantage of the ground, got a position from which, as the 
entMuy advanced on the fort, they could give him an enfilad- 
ing tire. The first volley told Avith terrible effect; anotlier 
equally destructive instantly followed. Another, another, 
and another, tore through their thinned and tliinning ranks. 
It seemed as if a whole brigade was on their flank. In the 
mean time our artillery opened on them with grape and can 
ister A moment more and the survivors were seeking tk* 



FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. 187 

shelter of tlieir works, leaving tlieir dead and wounded on 
the tield. Among the dead was the colonel of the regiment^ 
A detachment of our men was sent out to man Uie picket 
line Lieutenant Blethen returned, bringing in thirteen pris- 
oners, among whom was one commissioned officer. It is a 
eingular fact, that we had not a man harmed ^ . , , 

Two hours after the fight, the body of the rebel colonel 
who fell was sent, under a flag of truce, across the enemy a 
Wno^ ton-ether with his gold watch, a diamond ring, and 
-arious other articles of value found upon his person. 

It is a noteworthy fact, that the Sabbath was sometimes 
remembered" in the army, even in the midst of a vigorous 
campaio-n Wh-n the troops were on a march, it was ditter- 
ent But during the ten months the two great armies con- 
fronted each other before Richmond, no instance is remem- 
bered in which the religious services of the Sabbath were 
interrupted by the enemy. As by common consent, aggres- 
sive movements on both sides, with rare exceptions, were 
suspended on that day. i:„^, n 

Usually on the Sabbath, "all was quiet along the lines 
Especially so were the first Sabbaths we passed at Bermuda 
Hundred front. At the suggestion of Colonel Mix, of the 
Third New York Cavalry, that regiment and the l^irst JJis 
tiict of Columbia Cavalry attended a united service,_ whilb 
stationed at that point, the chaplains of the two regiments 
officiating alternately. .-, ^i • + 

At one o'clock on the morning of the 10th, the six mount- 
ed companies of the First District of Columbia Cavalry 
moved with tlie division under General Kautz, as it after- 
ward appeared, to capture Petersburg. The cavalry was 
to attack the city on the south, while the tenth corps ot 
infantry, under General Gilmore, Avas to attack on the north 
'side. The cavalry moved promptly. All the troops did 
their duty well No further account of the matter, however, 
can here be given than is necessary to show the part borne 
by this regiment. As the column, marching by the Jerusa- 
lem turnpike, approached the enemy' s defenses. Lieutenant- 
Colonel Conger, commanding, ordered Major Curtis to dis- 
mount his battalion and charge the enemy's works. Lvery 
fourth man was left in cliarge of the horses The balance of 



i88 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

the battalion moved steadily forward, firing rapidly as tliej 
advanced, nor did they pause at all till they were inside the 
rebel works, securing prisoners and destroying such camp 
equipage as they could not remove. 

It was then discovered that they had done this against 
three times their own number, fighting behind breastworks 
AVith the common arm, this would hardly have been possi- 
ble. Some of the prisoners said : "Your rapid tiring con 
fused our men; they thought the devil helped you, and it 
was of no use to fight." During the action, Captain GrifRu, 
of Company C, with a small detachment from his own and 
another company, charged and took a twelve-230und brass 
howitzer, against large odds of good fighting men. They 
could not stand the ready-loaded and instant (iring ai-ms 
which our men used against them. 

After the defenses had been carried, it was ascertained 
that the infantry had returned to Bermuda Hundred without 
striking a blow, and as the enemy was rapidly bringing up 
reinforcements from Richmond and elsewhere, General Kautz 
was compelled to retire, which he did without molestation. 
In the early part of the action, Lieutenant Maguire received 
a painful wound in the leg. This was our only casualty. 
While this affair was in progress, a detachment from that 
portion of the regiment which remained behind reconnoitered 
the enemy's works in our front, found them deserted, aj;d 
demolished them. 

On the 13tli we were relieved from duty in the in- 
trenchments, by a regiment of one hundred days men from 
Ohio. 

The next day the balance of the regiment was mounted, 
and moved at once with the cavalry division, in concei't witb 
the eighteenth corps of infantry, for a second demonstration 
on Petersburg. 

The disadvantage under which they labored will ])e 
appreciated, when it is stated that a portion of the Distiicl 
of Columbia men took the saddle that day for the first time 
in their lives. And yet the regiment was highly comj)!!- 
niented for its gallantry in the engagement, which resulted 
in forcing the enemy back to his inner line of intrench 
ments. 



FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. \hU 

Liriitenaiit Parkman, of Company D, a l)iave and .'K^cnru- 
plislunl officer, and an excellent man, was killed. 

Wliilf at Bi^rniuda Hundred, as well as elsewluMv. the 
kindly ministrations of the Sanitary and Christian C(»ninjH 
sions called forth gratefuJ acknowledgments from many a 
auifering soldier 



CH A PTER X II. 

FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRlT. 

L»»Ting Camp again — "Wilson's Raid" — Battles — The Escape of Kaut>. — The Rnd 
of Regimental Service. 

Hitherto one-lialf the regiment had served as infantry. 
Now, mounted and released from duty in the intrenchments, 
they were so far prepared to take the field as cavalry. Pro- 
bably, however, no other regiment in the service took the 
field in a condition so unfavorable to success. 

Now if (as we shall hereafter see), notwithstanding all the 
adverse influences, they were distinguished for their bravery 
and efficiency on every fiekl in which they fought, the fact 
will prove the sterling qualities of the men. 

On the 19th, we broke camp near the breastworks at 
Bermuda Hundred front, and moved north about five miles, 
to a point near the James, aljout two miles below Jones's 
Landing. 

At four o'clock p. m. of the 20th, an order was received 
to be ready to march at an hour's notice. At nine o'clock 
our horse equipments arrived from Washington. The diftVr- 
eut parts of the saddle were in different boxes, and so unac- 
quainted were the men with hoi'se gear, that many of them 
were unable to adjust tlie various parts without assistance. 
Nor was this strange. Before their enlistment tht-y had no 
occasion to learn, and subsequently, no opportunity, and 
yet, three hours later, they started on the celebrated •' Wil- 
son's Raid." 

At one o'clock, on the morning of the 21st of June, the 
regiment moved with the third division of cavalry, under 
General Kautz, and joined another division from the Army 
^f the Potomac. The whole force numbered about eight 

190 



F1K8T DISTRICT CAVALBY» 191 

thousand men, with sixteen pieces of aitilleiy, md was com- 
manded by General Wilson. 

The object of the movement, like that of similar ones 
which had preceded it, was not to fight, but to weaken the 
^^nemy by cutting his communications, and by destroying 
army stores and other public property. 

The Army of the Potomac was now intrenched on the 
south side of Richmond. All supplies for tiie rebel capital 
must be drawn from the South and West. The question of 
its reduction was only a question of time, while every inter- 
ruption of its communications, and every diminution of ita 
supplies, would hasten the time. 

On the night of the 21st, the command bivouacked at 
Blanford, on the Suffolk Railroad, four miles south of 
Petersburg. Of the use of tliis road the enemy had already 
been depiived. Passing on the 22d to Prince George's 
Court-house, thence marching in a southerly direction, they 
struck the Weldon Railroad at Reams' s Station, twelve miles 
from Petersburg. The place was guarded by a small hudy 
of militia. A portion of them were captured and the 
remainder dispersed. 

Here the sad but necessary work of destruction began. 
All the buildings at the station, together with a locomotive, 
and a train of five or six cars, wei'e consigned to the Hames. 

After tearing up the road for a considerable distance, the 
command marched to Ford's Station, on the South Side 
Railroad, eighteen miles southwest from Petersburg. Here 
the work of destruction was resumed. The public build- 
ings, together with three locomotives and fifteen cars, shared 
the fate of those at Reams' s Station. 

On the 23d, they advanced to Black's and White's, fif 
teeji miles southwest, on the same road, destroying the Ihrea 
intervening stations, and tearing up the road along their line 
of march. 

On the morning of the 24th, a march of eight miles led 
them to Notaway Court-house, where they destroyed a rail- 
road station, together with a large storehouse, filled with 
cotton. 

Resuming the line of march, they advanced to Keysvillo, 
on the Richmond and Danville Railroad, leaving behind 



192 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

theni a track of sniouldHring ruins, as far as the public 
pro})(-rty of the eueiiiy furnished combustible matter. Nor 
is it to be denied that, within certain limits, a good deal of 
foraging was done. 

In a lieallhy subject, fi-ee exercise in the open air, espe 
daily on horseback, tends to give an appetite, whose 
cravings notliing can appease but food. This was the 
expel ience of our boys. And if their haversacks were 
sometimes empty, and tliey were fain to gnaw the raw corn, 
'* whicli the horses did eat," their appetites were all the 
more clamorous when they came within reach of food. At 
such times, bread, and meat, and butter, and milk, and eggs, 
and cream, in a word, whatever the smoke-house, or the 
si)iing-house, or the field, or garden, or stall, or pasture of a 
rebel contained, which was capable of being readily con- 
verted into good food, was remorselessly appropriated, 
without waiting for either commissary or quartermaster 
process. Tliese acts of the hoys were never denied ; and 
yet, for the life of us, we could never discover any signs of 
penitence on account of them. It should be stated, how- 
ever, that the law of magnanimity was not entirely ignored. 

The boys were one day in want of meat, and, as they had 
no other means of getting it, they "confiscated" the con- 
tents of a smoke-house ou the plantation of a wealthy rebel. 
While the distribution was going on, the victim demanded, 
in no very pleasant tones, whether he was to have none for 
himself. 

"Certainly," a quiet Yankee replied. "Now is your 
time. Pitch in, pitch in, and take your share, while it is 
going !" 

After passing Drake's Depot, eight miles further soutli, 
and paying it the same compliments they had paid to other&v, 
they approached Roanoke Bridge, which crosses the Staun- 
ton River, at the mouth of the Little Roanoke. As this was 
a point of great importance to the enemy, it was fortified and 
strongly guarded. Ou this side of the river, at the distance 
of about three-fourths of a mile, running parallel with it, 
was a range of hills. Between the hills and the river, the 
ground was open and level. At the left of the railroad was 
a broad Held of wheat, while on the right a luxuriant growth 



FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. 103 

Of iirass and weeds, rising nearly to the height of a man's 
Lulders covered the ground. The bluti- on the opposite 
Jde tie rWerwas lined with earthworks, and bnstled 
;th cannon, both above and below the bndge, wbde a 
stron "line of the enemy's skirmishers had been thrown 
\rrn^% the bridcre, and deployed along the shore. 
■"' Willon' object was fo Ln tl.e bridge and L.eu^nt- 
Cclonel Conger, of the First District of Columbia Cualrj, 
was de a led to do it. The regiment was composed of new 
recruits, with little experience, and had received ess in- 
str, ction than any other regiment in the command. Tl>^ 
, ertahin.. was a perilous one. Its wisdom the reader will 
be 1 ke ly to question. And yet, when the «-' orde. wa 
dven to charge across the level ground, in the face of the 
? W batteriel the gallant First District of Col umbux moved 
forward in splendid styU, dismounted (except the mtrei i 
CoT.-er, who being lame from previous wounds, was com- 
BeUed to ride). The advance squadron, commanded by 
Taain Benson, had not advanced far, when, from the line 
of he enemy's works in front, a murderous storm of grape 
Id caniste/was hurled into their ranks -^t'' '-" ^^ ^^_ 
Officers and men went down m large numbers. StiH, with 
out the least protection, in the face of that withering he 
and at too great a distance from the enemy to effect much by 
tl^lr own. fhose brave men pressed on till near the bridge. 
Efforts were made to burn it, but they were ""successful 
The rec-iment did but little actual fighting here, for the 
simple reason that they could not get at the enemy, bu he 
cannonading was rapid and heavy. The '""^ P''-- "f,;^ 
line of fire and smoke, and the earth '"'"^ d wtl the 
terrific concussions. Shells screamed across the horuon, 
bursting into deadly iron hail-the gnm forms o snd. - 
masked men, the gleam of burnished guns n ' « "^j"^^* 
field, where the men were not engaged, and "'^ U'^ '> ' fue 
sabers where they were, with horsemen n t e d stame 
sweeping to and fro, formed a scene of exc. ing grandtui 
such as few of onr men had ever witnessed before 

When at length it was discovered that the "'_^'"; ™>; ' 
not be accomplished but at too great a sacrifice of hfe the 
advance was ordered back, and, as nothing else was to b. 



194 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

done in this direction, the return march was commenced 
The enemy followed all day, but made no attack. After a 
march of thirty-two miles directly east, through Greens- 
borough, the column lialted for the night near Oak Grovf^. 

A march of tliirty-eight miles brought them to the Iron 
Bridge across Stony Creek, at about ten o'clock on the 
morning of the 28th. Here a heavy force of cavalry and 
artillery was found in position to dispute the crossing. The 
cavalry consisted of Hampton's command, together with thai 
of Fitz Hugh Lee. 

A severe engagement took place, in which this regimeni 
lost about eighty men in killed, wounded, and missing. 
The result was indecisive. The enemy was pressed back, 
while our column turned to the left and crossed the creek at 
a point above. 

General Kautz's division had the advance, this regiment 
moving at the head of the column, and the Eleventh Penn- 
sylvania next. 

On approaching Reams' s Station, which had been sup- 
posed to be in our possession, General Kautz found himself 
confronted by the enemy, both infjintry and artillery. 
Mahone's whole division, and one brigade from another 
division, had been sent out to intercept Wilson's command, 
which was now outnumbered tAVO to one,* The enemy was 
drawn up in strong line of battle, extending from the Nofa- 
way River, on our right, to a point far out on our left. This 
regiment and the Eleventh Pennsylvania charged directly 
through. General Wilson, however, instead of following 
on, fell back, abandoned his artillery, wagons, and ambu- 
lances, and, by making a wide detour, avoided the enemy 
and abandoned these two regiments to their fate. 

Kautz had marched but a short distance, when he found 
himself in a triangle, two sides of which, including liis rear 
and left front, were held by the enemj'' in overwhelming 
numbers. Extending along his right front was the railroad, 
running through a cut from ten to twelve feet in depth. 



♦ Stung to madness by the previous daring and destructive raids of Kautz, Lee 
18 said to have doclpred that he would crush these raiders, if it cost him his whole 
XTOiy 



FIRST DISTPwIOT CAVALRY. 195 

Bey(>nd it, and running nearly parallel with it, was a randdy 
stream of considerable deptli, and beyond tliat, an extensive 
Bwanip, supposed to be impassable. 

The enemy now thought himself sure of his prey. Under 
the circumstances, almost any other man Avould haye sur 
rendered. Not so the indomitable Kautz. 

It was a wild and exciting scene to see those mounted 
men slide down that steep embankment to the railroad track, 
and scramble up the opposite bank, and dash down the next 
declivity into the stream, and wallow through mire and 
water, the horses in some instances rolling over, and the 
men going under, amid the thunder of artillery, and with 
solid shot plunging, and shells exploding, and grape and 
canister raining, and musket balls whistling around them, 
tiii they reached the o])posite shore, and disappeared in the 
swamp. 

F'ollowing their indefatigable commander, they pressed 
their wriy through, and reached their old camp at Jones's 
Landing, the next day.* 

Lieutenant-Colonel Conger, ^fajor Curtis, and Captain 
Sanford were severely wounded. Captains Benson and 
Chase, who had been wounded at Roanoke Bridge, fell 
into the enemy's hands as prisoners, when the ambulances 
were abandoned at Stony Creek. 

The damage to the enemy by this raid was immense. 
Besides the destruction of buildings, of cotton, of commis- 
sary stores, and rolling stock, Richmond and Petersburg wero 
cut off from all railroad communication for several weeks. 

The whole Army of the Potomac wa§ now in front of 
Petersburg, and was intrenching in the direction of the 
South Side Railroad. 

One of our companies was on duty in Fort Pride. AVith 
this exception, the history of the regiment, for the next few 
weeks, is little else than a history of alternate rest and drill. 
Once or twice it was ordered out on reconnoissance, and 
once on foot to repel an expected assault, which, however, 
was not made. 



♦ ThiH STvamp had been made paasabla bj a drouth o*" ahnoet unprecedented 
•©verity 



'9b UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

On the 27tli, of'I.ms "were received to be read}? to move 
At six o'clock, p. JtL, witli three days' rations. The whole 
cavalry forc-e, tog(;nier witli the second corps of infantry, 
liad been ordered to the north side of the James. The object 
rras to diaw the enemy from Petersburg, where an assault 
was to be made in connection with the mine explosion. 
The head of Sher'idan's column arrived from the west side 
01 the x\ppomaUox at nine; p. m. At three o'clock, a. m., the 
Pirst District of Columbia joined the rear, and, after march- 
mg to Jones'y Landing, halted for the command to cross tlie 
pontoon bridf;,e. Late in the day the crossing was effected, 
•\nd the reglraent bivouacked for the night. 

Some skirmishing occurred on the next day, in which 
Lieutenant McBride, of Company C, was wounded. 

On the 30th, the regiment returned to camp, and on the 
same afternoon marched to the west side of the Appomattox. 
On the 2d of August, it was ordered on picket near the 
enemy's lines, on the extreme left of the army. 

Our main line of works in front of Petersburg conformed 
very nearly to that of the enemy on the left, bending south- 
ward, so as to face the Weldon Railroad. A picket line 
extended from the left of our line of fortifications, in an 
easterly direction, through Prince George's Court-IIouse, 
Lee's Mills, Sycamore Church, and Cox's Mills. On the 
3d of August, the headquarters of the regiment were estab- 
lished at Sycamore Church, Major Baker commanding. 
This place was abotit ten miles southeast from City Point. 

From the 8th to the 21st of August, the regiment was on 
picket duty on tlm Weldon Railroad, four miles fiom Peters- 
burg. 

On the ]8ih, while a demonstration was made on tlie 
i.orth side of the James, in front of Richmond, by Generals 
(jJregg and Harcot-k, Avitli their res])ective commands of 
cavalry and infautiy, and while a portion of the uAn-l troops 
were withdiawn from our front to meet the eniergeiicy, the 
lifth corps of infantry advanced and took p()sse.<sion of the 
NVeldon Railroad. Desperate but fruitless efforts wei'e made 
by the enemy to recover it. Severe fighting occurred on the 
21st, in which tliis regiment partici})ated. Dismounted, and 
deployed as skinniihers on the left of the fifth corps, thej' 



FIK8T DISTRICT CAVALRY. 197 

participated in the capture of a iDrigade of rebel troops, and 
three stands of colors. 

After picketing again, on the 22d, the regiment became 
engaged with a body of rebel troops the next morning, and 
drove tliem four miles, destroying a quantity of army stores. 
In the afternoon, Hampton's Legion was encountered. It 
was " Greek meeting Greek." It was impossible, however, 
for him to stand against the sixteen-shooters, and he wa3 
driven back, leaving his dead and wounded on the field 
We also took some prisoners. During this last engagement, 
Captain Sargent, of Company M, was kiUed while charging 
the enemy. We lost two men besides. 

On the 24th, the fighting was resumed at various points, 
and at some was severe, but with no decisive results. On 
the 25th, this regiment met the enemy in three distinct en- 
gagements, repulsing him in each. 

At four o'clock there were indications that he intended 
a flank movement, and this regiment was ordered to Uie 
extreme left of the line, and dismounted, to fortify against 
the expected attack at that point. After the hard and 
almost incessant fighting of the day, the men could hardly 
have been in the best working condition, and yet, m 
momentary expectation of an attack, they wrought with^ a 
will. Without intrenching tools, their own "hands minis- 
tered" to the necessities of the hour. Logs, stumps, brush, 
roots, whatever movable material the forest afforded, was 
brought into requisition. The extemporized breastwork was 
hardly completed, when the enemy opened on us with artil- 
lery. Against this our works were no protection. But 
{he men stood firm. Only one man was killed, and one 
wounded. There was no enemy in sight, but all under- 
stood what this shelling boded. 

The men had received their orders, and all was sihnt 
along the line. Every man was at his post. Every eye 
was "open, and every ear attent. No sound was heard but 
tlie roar of the enemy's artillery, and the scream and crash 
of shells around us. This, however, had continued but a 
short time, when the enemy was seen in strong line of battle 
advancing through the woods. No sooner had they dis- 
covered our position than they raised a yeU and rushed 



J 98 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

■on lo the charge. But tliey paid dearl}^ for theii temcrit}' 
Our men reserved their fire — coolly waiting till the enemy 
was sufficiently near. Their first volley told with startling 
effect. Many a poor fellow drew short breath and never 
breathed again. Another and another volley followed in 
instantaneous succession, and the enemy was swept from 
our front. Unfortunately, however, the infantry on our 
right, pressed, by superior numbers, had fallen back, and 
the enemy was on our flank. The regiment held its posi- 
tion till dark, and was the last to leave the field. The next 
day it returned to Sycamore Church and resumed picket 
duty. 

AVhile here, our officers formed an acquaintance with 
some of the " F. F. V.'s." For the most part, the acquaint- 
ance Avas pleasant, but not always. The following incident 
will illustrate the spirit sometimes encountered : One of our 
officers, while out on a scoTiting expedition with a small 
squad of men, halted near a fine old Virginia mansion, at a 
considerable distance outside of our lines, while he ad- 
vanced and politely accosted the lordly proprietor, as he 
■sat puffing his cigar in the cool shade of his piazza. His 
lordship at once commenced a furious tirade against "Lin- 
coln and his dirty minions." The lieutenant listened 
patiently, meanwhile observing one of the colored women 
carrying a fine churning of butter into the house fi'om a 
building near by, where it seemed to have been just made. 
At the firsfe pause in the furious tirade, he said, in substance, 
" Well, sir, the war is a costly thing. It has made it neces- 
sary to tax almost every thing, especially luxuries. ]Vow, 
as this sort of talk seems a luxury to you, it must be taxed. 
You will please send out to my men a few pounds of your 
new butter." 

Whether from generosity or some other motive, the but- 
t^-r was furnished, but the spirit of the man was not at all 
improved. He went on to abuse the Government, and all 
who supported it, in terms more violent than before. At 
the next pause, his tormentor quietly remarked : " For this 
fresh indulgence, you will please furnish us with half a 
dozen of your best hams, and a sack of flour ; and the 
sooner it is done the better P^ 



FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. i99 

The negro who executed the order clearly indicated, hy 
an exhibition of his fine white teeth, and a mischievoug 
tw'jikle of his eye, that he enjoyed tlie thing much better 
tLin "massa" did. The master, in the mean time, was 
foaming with rage, and venting his feelings in terms of the 
most intense bitterness. 

At length, the imperturbable lieutenant interposed coolly : 
" Sir, your indulgence has gone far enough. You will square 
the account by turning out the two beeves I see in yondei 
lut, and if I hear any more of this abuse of my Government, 
I will take you along too." With a polite good-by, he 
was left a sadder, if not a wiser man. For some days after, 
the boys ate good, new, soft bread and butter, instead of 
hard-tack, and fresh beef and ham, instead of salt pork. 

The portion of the picket-line held by the First District 
ot Columbia, now numbering about four hundred effective 
men, was nearly five miles in length, extending along a road 
running nearly east and west, mostly through a wooded 
country. Major Baker, in immediate command of two bat 
talions, held the right of the line, with the reserve at Syca- 
more Church, whilst Captain Howe, with one battalion, held 
the left, with the reserve at Cox's Mills, two miles east. 

Such was the position of this little devoted band of four 
hundred men, on the outer picket-line, five miles from any 
support, when at daybreak, on the 16th of September, tlipy 
were suddenly attacked by the whole force of Hampton's 
cavalry, supported by three brigades of infantry. 

In some way, which has never been explained, one 
detachment of the enemy's force had passed through the 
picket-line on the right, held by another regiment. Another 
had gone round our left flank, where there were no pickets. 
This must have been done hours before the assault, for (aa 
it afterward appeared) they had barricaded the roads three 
miles in our rear. 

If the reader inquires why the enemy threw so formida- 
ble a force against a point so remote, so weak, and appa- 
rently so unimportant, the answer is, that just in our rear 
was a herd of twenty-three hundred cattle, and the rebel 
anny wanted meat. 

If the position, purpose, and strength of the assaulting 



200 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

party had been known, any attempt at resistance wonM 
have been madness. 

The first intimation of an assault at Sycamore Church 
was given by the charging shout of the enemy. Instantly 
our men rallied under their intrepid commander, to meet 
tlie furious onset. So rapid and terrible was their fire, that 
three times the enemy fell back in confusion. But the con- 
test was too unequal. This little handful of men was in a 
few moments surrounded, their Lorses captured, and they 
were compelled to succumb. 

As illustrations of this sudden, short, wild, and terrible 
fight, we give one or two incidents. At the lirst note of 
alarm. Lieutenant Spaulding, of Company E, mounted his 
horse, which had been kept saddled all night, and started 
out to reconnoiter. Meeting a body of cavalry, he mistook 
them for a party of our own men, and found himself among 
them before discovering his error. As he was taken by them 
for one of their own men, he rode along with them till the 
order was given to charge, when, with stentorian voice, he 
roared out, "Charge — charge!" and, putting spurs to his 
horse, he dashed forward, and turning into the bushes made 
good his escape. 

Nearly at the same moment he started down the road to 
reconnoiter, Lieutenant Mountfort, of Company K, started 
with a sergeant, AV. F. Lunt, and a small squad of men, 
dismounted, in the same direction. They had gone but a 
short distance, when they met the enemy charging up the 
road. Comprehending the situation at once, the lieutenant 
shouted, "Give it to them, boys, give it to them!" at the 
same time setting the example. Two men at the head of the 
column were seen to sway and ftill from their saddles, before 
the unerring aim of the lieutenant. Other saddles were 
empth^d, and the advance fell back. A moment later, how- 
ever, they came on in line of battle. The lieutenant now 
ordered his men to fall back to a tree, which had fallen 
across the road. On reaching it, they found the euemy all 
around them. Observing a squad of them who had just 
weized ISIajor Baker, Sergeant Lunt fired on them, when 
instantly several carbines were leveled on him. Struck in 
the head and stunned, he fell forward into the thick tree 



FIRST DISTRICT CAVALRY. 201 

top. Falling between the limbs, they closed over him, their 
thick foliage concealing him. When consciousness returned, 
the body of the gallant lieutenant lay within a few feet of 
him, dead, and the enemy was plundering the camp. Crawl- 
ing cautiously out, he succeeded in reaching the bushes, 
where, falling in with a small squad of men who, like him- 
self, had thus far escaped capture, he started with them for 
the next picket post. But as they were passing through a 
deep cut in the road, the sergeant, from exhaustion, being 
somewhat in the rear, as those in advance of him emerred 
from the cut, they were met by a paily of the enemy, and 
nearly all captured. The sergeant escaped, in consequence 
of being in the rear. Who would have thought that the 
exhaustion, which seemed to put him to such a disadvantage, 
would have been the means of saving him from a horrible 
captivity ? Such are the ways of Providence. Of twenty- 
live men of Company G, who were captured on that fatal 
morning, only three are known to have survived the bar- 
barities of their imprisonment. 

The attack on Cox's Mills was made at nearly the bame 
moment with that at Sycamore Church. 

A little to the left of Captain Howe's position, and at the 
foot of a very considerable descent, the road crosses a bridge 
over a small stream. To command this bridge, a slight 
breastwork had been thrown up upon the high ground on 
this side. At the first notice of the aj)proach of the enemy, 
the command rallied just in time to reach this breastwork, 
behind which they form^'d. A heavy force of mounted 
rebels had crossed the bridge, and with wild yells was 
charging up the hill, outnumbering our men ten to one. On, 
on they came, expecting an easy victoiy. Coolly our men 
waited. Not a shot was fired till they were within easy range. 
Then a few volleys from the sixteen-shooters sent them tack 
in confusion. A second time they charged, with the same 
result. This time they did not return. After waiting some 
time, in expectation of another attack, scouts were sent out 
to ascertain what they were about. They found a formida 
ble force in front, and a strong force advancing on eacb 
flank. 

No alternative now remained but to fall back to Sycii- 



2C2 LNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

more Cliurcli, as Captain Howe had been ordered to do, in 
case a retreat became necessary. The enemy had been so 
severely punished, that he was careful to keep at a safe 
distance, and the command fell back in good order, and 
without the loss of a man. At the church, however, a sad 
fate awaited them. Ignorant of what had occurred there, 
they expected to join Major Baker's reserve, and to make a 
stand. But in the mean time, the enemy, hiiving secured 
their prisoners, and plundered the camp, had formed in a 
semicircle across the road, and, dressed in our uniform, were 
mistaken for our own men. Successful resistance was now 
impossible, and, having done all that brave men could do, 
like men they yielded to their fate. 

'Some men seem to bear a charmed life. Lieutenant E. P. 
Merrill, of Company M, commanded a squadron under Cap- 
tain Howe. During a few moments of suspense, anxious to 
know the position of the enemy, he sprang upon the first 
horse that came to hand, and, plunging the spurs into his 
flanks, dashed forward to reconnoiter. 

The horse stumbled, and, coming suddenly to the ground, 
threw his rider over his head, far down the hill. Instantly 
he rose, made a hasty reconnoissance, and returned to the 
line in safety. 

During the subsequent melee, a rebel officer made his 
appearance in the edge of the woods, and, taking delibeiate 
aim at the lieutentant, fired three shots in quick succession, 
neither of which took effect. 

Our loss in killed and wounded was small, but in prison- 
ers, large, numbering several hundred. They were among 
the bravest men Maine had sent to the war, and here their 
services in the First District of Columbia Cavalry ended. 

There was much speculation at the time, as to who was 
res})onsible for the exposed position of the cattle-herd wliich 
invited this rebel raid. It seems to have been a high offi(vr 
(tf llie army, who in all other respects has deserved well of 
his country, and whose name is for this reason withheld. 

Shortly after this affair, this officer dined with the com- 
mander-in-cliief at the headquarters of General Kautz. In 
the course of conversation, he put this questliou : " General, 



FIRST DISTKICT Cav'aLRY. 203 

how long are we to remain liere ?" The reticent Grant 
smoked on a few seconds, then took the inevitable cigar 
from his lips, and, while dislodging the ashes with his little 
finger, qnietly answered : "I don't know, General; if you 
keep on feeding Lee' s army with beef, we shaL have to stay 
a good while." 

The questioner blushed, and Grant resumed his smcjkin^. 



CHAPTER XIII 

THE ANIMUS OF SECESSIG^ 

L Dial&/al Pastor and his Friends compelled to "do justly" — The "Peculiar Inirti,* 
tion " Dies Hard — Man-Slealers Foiled in their Schemes of Robbery. 

Another phase of disloyalty presented itself witk the 
advent of the autumn of 1863 ; an example of the conflicting 
elements in Southern communities during the rebellion, 
whose sharpest, most unrelenting outbreak was seen in the 
alliance of religion witii treason. 

It was notorious that the clergy and women were l^ie 
" best haters," and loudest talkers, in the ranks of secessicn. 
The reason lay, perhaps, in the nature of things. Never is 
wrong feeling and action so intense as when it takes the 
sanctions of Christianity ; while the strong impulses and the 
lively sensibilities of woman's nature lend a similar strength 
and activity to it in a bad cause. 

I was making an excursion, in an official way, towt-rd 
Point Lookout, upon a Sabbath evening. While approaching 
it with a force of about fifty men of my cavalry, we came to a 
small church, about twenty-four miles from Washington, 
which was closed, and a number of people standing before 
the door. I naturally asked the meaning of the strange 
scene. It seemed that the majority of the people in the 
parish were disloyal, and, after permitting the Unionists to 
occupy the sanctuary a portion of the time, nearly in pro- 
portion to their relative numerical strength, had voted to 
exclude them altogether. 

I inquired : *' Who has the key to this church ?'* 

"Rev. Mr. P., who lives down the road a quarter cf tt 
aiilft " 

204 



A DISLOYAL PASTOR. 205 

I immediately rode away to tLe parsonage, and l^nocke-d 
It its door. A gentleman with white cravat and diguilied 
demeanor opened it, when I asked him : — 

"You preach in the little church up at the Coruers, do 
vou not?" 

"I do." 

" And you keep the key ? " 

"Yes, sir." 

"So you won't let the loyal people serve God thert. ?" 

"No; the parish voted to exclude those who didn't 
agree with us." 

"Well, I want you to unlock the church." 

"Oh, no; I can't do that." 

"Then you will go with me to Washington ; and you 
can have three minutes to decide which you will do." 

He reached out his hand to take the key, which was 
hanging on the wall, near the door. 

"That will not do ; you must go and unlock the church 
yourself." 

"No, I can't." 

"Then start for Washington." 

" Of course, you have the power." 

" Yes, and I intend to exercise it." 

The aggrieved pastor then reluctantly followed me with 
the key. We approached the church, before which stood tlie 
wondering and waiting people, when my clerical friend hand 
3d the key to a brother, requ' -sting him to open the door. 

I interposed. " Don't you take that key ; he must unlock 
the church." 

There being no alternative, he doggedly obeyed ; and, one 
after another, the outsiders went in, till the house was n^-arly 
full. 

1 said to them: "Now you can serve God accoidlng t 
the dictates of your owu conscience." 

The loyal minister, who had vainly attempted to occupy 
the pulpit for several successive Sabbaths, enteied it, and 
commenced the usual service. Meanwhile, an officer of my 
cavalry force reported that the horses were suffering for 
want of water. I directed them to be taken to a ford four 
miles distant for watering. 



206 UNITED STATES SEUKET SEKVICK. 

Wlieii the rebels found my cavalry were gone, they also 
went into the church, and commenced a disturbance of the 
meeting, first by scraping their feet upon the pews, then by 
audible expressions of their hatred. I rose, and, in no gentle 
mood, called an orderly, and told him to ride in liot haste 
after the cavalry, and tell the officer in command to send 
back ten men as quickly as possible. 

In a short time, the force came on the full gallop to the 
churcli, when I ordered a halt. The frightened disturbers 
of loyal worship attempted to get out of the way, when I 
directed the arrest of about a dozen of them, and told them 
they must march with us to Washington that night. They 
begged for mercy, but it was too late. 

They certainly didn't play by the way ; for we reached 
the city before daylight the next morning. 

After I had risen, in single file, and with drooping heads, 
and hats in hand, they formed a ring of chop-fallen chivalry 
around me — a comical and pitiful sight. Upon giving their 
parole they were released, and no further quarrel interrupted 
the Union worshipers, who gratefully assembled upon the 
recurrence of their appointed service in the rural temple. 

In every thing and everywhere, it was evident to the 
Casual observer that slavery was the soul of the rebellion — 
the educator in treason, perverting law, religion, and social 
order, and laying on its aUnr, like the idolatry of Ilin- 
ioostan, unsparingly, human victims. 

The determination of the Government, and of the army 
officers generally, notwithstanding, to save the "peculiar 
institution" with the Union, in the beginning of the war, 
was equally apparent. Under the notorious fugitive slave 
law of 1857, wliich offered a premium upon the re-enslave- 
nient of the refugee from unrequited toil and personal abuse, 
the commissioner appointed to enforce its provisions in 
Washington was a secessionist by the name of Cox, who 
took care to restore every chattel to the claimant, without 
nicely discriminating between the bond and free. As a 
consequence, not a few persons, who, by birth or purchase 
of freedom, were citizens, were seized and forced into bond- 
age I had some very interesting cases of the kind. 

A free-born mulatto girl was kidnapped by the slave 



NEGRO- STEALERS FOUED. 207 

catrliers, and throvif^b perjury the proper order was ob- 
tained, and slie was taken to her pretended owner. Intel- 
ligent, and resolved to he free, slie had the facts conveyed 
to my headquarters. By a military order I compelled the 
woman-stealer to restore to her friends the captive robbed 
of her rights in the name of law. The tinge of African hue 
alone made the outrage a trivial incident to all but the grate- 
ful and, I might add, graceful young lady. 

Upon my return from an expedition into Lower Mary- 
land, when within a mile from the State line, I met a farmer 
with a wagon load of slaves, consisting of a father and 
mother, with their two small children, and a wife's sister, 
all in charge of a constable and a force of armed citizens. 
The slaves, tied hand and foot, and thrown upon the straw 
in an old country wagon, were on their way back to bond- 
age. And this was done in the name of law, to pacify the 
men who were plotting to destroy the Union ! 

I was completely exhausted ; but, nerved to action by 
indignation too intense for expression, I demanded the autho- 
rity for the horrible proceeding. The claimant produced 
his parchment, bearing the seal of Commissioner Cox. He 
flourished the precious document before me, and directed 
my attention to the great seal of the United States. 

Upon careful perusal of it, I found that it bore the names 
of only four slaves, while the load included five. \Vhen I 
pointed the chivalrous and confident owner to the apparently 
unimportant circumstance, he replied: "We don't count 
that baby," pointing to an infant three months old, in the 
arms of a mother, whose feet were tied, while she leaned 
against the side of the vehicle. 

I answered: "The mother was a slave, and the child 
was born in bondage. You claim the mother, and of course 
tlie child is kidnapped ; and as you profess to be a law- 
abiding citizen, and are violating the statute, I arrest the 
entire company." 

He warmly protested, and threatened resistance. 

He said, " Take the baby ; what in h — 11 do we want of 
the baby ? We want grown people." 

The mother began to weep. One of my men was touched, 
and, turning to me with pleading tone, inquired if I would 
separate the mother and chilr' 



2_8 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

TJie display of a dozen of Colt's revolvers, by myself and 
assistants, satisfied my excited friend that I was in earnest in 
expressing my interpretation of the hnv. I sprang into the 
wagon, and with my saber's point cut the ropes. 

This, I think, was the first practical application of the 
principle of the famous Emancipatiun Proclamation of later 
date. 

I directed the horses' heads to be turned toward Wa>li 
ington, when the owner and driver of the load remonslratrd, 
and said, with an oath : 

" Let the niggers walk to Washington," 

I said, "No. You brought them here, and must carry 
til em back." 

The poor captives sank on their knees ; the venerable old 
man exclaiming, with uplifted hands, "Bless God !" and the 
mother adding, " God bless Colonel Baker !" 

I took them to my headquarters and set them at liberty. 

This transaction, of course, brought upon my head the 
cnrses of the slaveholders of Lower Maryland. But I had 
violated no law, on account of the fortunate presence of the 
baby. 

A delegation called on Mr. Lincoln the next morning, pro- 
testing against the arbitrary act, producing, as before, the 
sacred parchment. I was summoned to the White House. 
The President said : 

"Baker, a serious charge is preferred against you;" 
directing my attention to the document, with the inquiry, 
" What do yon know about the case f 

I briefly made my statement, giving prominence to the 
iiumber of the slaves, and the juvenile supernumerary. 

Tlie Chief-Magistrate, worthy of the nation he repre 
sented, replied jocosely : " Well, Baker, I guess the baby 
saves you!" and dismissed the whole aflair, leaving the 
"contrabands" at large, and myself to the prosecution of 
my thankless profession. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

ENGLISH SYMPATHY WITH THE SOUTH— NEGRO-HATE QT 
WASHINGTON. 

ftj English Emissary of the South — FTe Deceives the Secretary of State — My Ao 
qiiaintance with Him — The Fruitless Efifort to Betray Me — The Journey to the 
Old Capitol Prison — Negro-hate in the National Capital. 

Mncir has been said and written abont English sympatliy 
and co-operation with the South. Perliaps nothing can give 
the extent and success of this alliance a more just prominence 
in the record of the war than some account of its practical 
operations, involving tlie highest official position, but with- 
out the least intimation of inability or disloyalty. On the 
contrary, the narrative only reveals the deliberate and skillful 
conspiracy of the abettors of treason in the "mother coun- 
try," deceiving the most intelligent statesmanship, because 
it seemed impossible that tlie betrayal of confidence could 
appear in the disguise of culture, friendship, and appreciated 
courtesies from the most eminent men in the Government. 

During the iirst years of the rebellion, an Englishman 
made his appearance in Washington, whose apparent interest 
in the loyal cause, and his open denunciations of the rebel 
leaders, attracted the attention of our able Secretary of 
State. He gained ready access to other officers of the Gov 
ernment. 

So completely had he won the confidence of ISfr. Sewaid 
that he received letters to the commander of tlie Department 
of the Shenandoah Valley. With them he waited upon that 
officer, and was shown the usual attentions which follow 
such an introduction. From the commanding general he 
received a carte hlanclie to visit the outposts whenever he 
thought proper. Disregarding the obligations such favors 
imposed, he passed the Federal lines beyond Winchester, 
and boMIy entered the camp of Stonewall Jackson boasting 

14 209 



210 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

of his deception, and receiving similar civilities to those 
shown him by the Union officers. He remained several 
days on liostile soil, and then returned to Washington, after 
having received from Jackson permission to cross his lines 
at any time, day or night. 

AVliile he was in Washington, he soon, by his suspicious 
bearing, his secret meetings with well-known secessionists, 
awakened my suspicions. Upon inquiry, I learned tliat he \ 
was a sympathizer with the South, and a reputed correspond- 
ent of a London paper. 

In tlie prosecution of my inquiries, I ascertained that he 
was an accredited writ^^r for the English press, and was 
assured that the stranger was a reliable gentleman. But 
believing that, if my British friend had facilities for passing 
the lines of both armies, he could give me important intelli- 
gence, I decided to cultivate his acquaintance. I accordingly 
wrote Inm a friendly note requesting him to call at my head- 
quarters, which he soon after did. He opened the conversa- 
tion by an effort to impress my mind with liis importance as a 
detective in the Union service, being able to cross both lines 
at pleasure. He further informed me that he had just returned 
fi-om Stonewall Jackson's camp, and had given to our Gen- 
eral B. valuable information. He claimed to occupy neu- 
tral ground, and naturally had but little interest in either 
side. 

Still, if I would employ and pay him, he could rendei 
great service to the Bepublic ; and he could obtain a cer- 
tificate from the British minister which would give him free 
entry even to the rebel capitid. During the interview, I 
detected in his conduct a revelation of his real character. 
Notwithstanding his indorsement by Government, I was 
sure of his treasonable designs. If so, he was clearly a 
dangerous man, and I determined to know more about nim. 
T desired him to obtain the certificate from tlie English minis- 
ter referred to by him. An examination of it convinced me 
it was a forgery. I applied to the minister, who informed 
me that he knew of no such man in Washington. At our 
next meeting, upon the succeeding day, I expressed my 
regret that I had not the means of getting to rebel camps 
wLdch he had ; adding, that with them, how easily I could 



AN ARTFUL ENGLISHMAN. 211 

get the plans and movements of the enemy. The bait was a 
Buccess. 

He replied : "Nothing is easier. Go with me, and I will 
pass you along as a friend, and associate correspondent." 

lie detailed minutely the plan, and we agreed to leave 
in company the next morning for Harper's Ferry, en route 
to General Jackson's quarters. 

About eleven o'clock that night, when leaving my office, 
I received the following note, handed me by a colored man : — 

Colonel Bakeb: — 

Bewaro of that Englishman! He baa devised a plot to betray you. For 
God's sake, don't go with him. 

Mrs. •. 

The missive was written by a true-hearted Union woman, 
d seamstress in one of the aristocratic secession families of 
Washington. 

This revelation increased my anxiety to become his trav- 
eling companion. I left Washington with him, according to 
appointment, and reached Winchester in due time, by rail. 
The rebel picket-line was between that place and Stanton. 

Remaining incog, myself, my friend proceeded to General 
B.'s headquarters and procured passes for both. Hiring 
a horse and l)uggy, we proceeded toward Stonewall Jack- 
son's headquarters, he suggesting that it would not probably 
be safe to go directly to them without giving notice of our 
arrival witliin the lines. Four miles from them, we halted 
at a farm-house, where he said he was acquainted, and pro- 
posed to send the message to camp. I was introduced prop- 
erly, and, after an excellent supper, a letter was written and 
read to me by him, addressed to the rebel chief, announcing 
our proximity, and that we would report to him in the morn- 
ing. A trusted house servant was called, and received his 
instructions in regard to the delivery of the note. 

Carelessly sauntering forth into the yard, I followed him 
by a circuitous route to his shanty, and asked him if he had 
the letter. 

" Yes, massa," he replied ; " which of de letters?" hand- 
ing me two — the one which I had seen, and another to the 
Chief of Staff, running thus : — 



2! 2 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Have just arrived, and am nt Mr. \ house. U&ve with me th« 

Yankee detectivo, Balier. Send and capture as both. 

1 took these notes, sealed the envelopes, gave them to the 
bearer, and told him to hurry as fast as possible. He left, 
and I returned to the dwelling, where my companion was 
conversing with the lady of the house. 

It was seventeen miles to the rebel headquarters, and I 
knew the servant could not get back until morning. I de- 
termined to await the issue. I occupied the same bed with 
the Englishman ; but passed a sleepless niglit. He was 
singularljT- restless toward morning, often going to the win- 
dow, to catch a glimpse of tlie expected cavalry, or hear the 
echo of the hoofs. He complained of being ill. At seven 
o'clock the messenger arrived; I had detected, from the 
movements of all around me, some great event was expected. 

The servant was eagerly questioned, who said he had 
delivered tlie letters according to orders. 

Breakfast was dispatched, and nine o'clock came, when 
I proposed to my associate that we wait no longer for a 
special invitation, but go forward to General Jackson's 
camp. He acquiesced ; our carriage was brought to the 
door, the farewell spoken to the family, and we were on 
.our way. 

Great surprise was expressed by my friend that no reply 
had been received to the note. I apologized for the ap- 
parent neglect, on the ground of urgent business, and urged 
that we hasten on. 

When about four miles from our hospitable home for the 
night, we came to four corners, and I inquired : — 

" Which road leads to Winchester?" 

He pointed with his whip, saving : "That one." 

1 said : " Stop a moment !" sprang from the buggy, drew 
and cocked my six-shooter within six inches of his head, 
exclaiming : " You scoundrel, you are my prisoner. I have 
only been waiting to see how far you would go, and what 
shape your base design would take." 

He turned deadly pale, and tried to speak, when I added : 
"Don't open your mouth; if you do, I'll blow your brains 
out." 



THE TABLES TUKNED. 215 

Directing liim to alight, I drew a pair of handcnifs from 
my pocket, wrapped in a newspaper, wliich I deliberately 
nnrolled ; and with my pistol in my left hand, with my right 
T clasped the manacles on his wrist, and said : — 

"You have attempted to betray me; if you make an 
effort to alarm any one, or try to indicate who I am, I will 
shoot you dead. If you go quietly along, you shall not be 
hurt. Now, get into the buggy." 

I took my pistol, put the muzzle under the cushion of the 
Beat, and with my left hand drove the horse. Fortunately, 
we met no rebel soldiers, and not a word was spoken until 
we came to within half a mile of the rebel picket-line, when I 
drove to the side of the fence, told my prisoner to alight, and 
entered with him a strip of woods, passed safely the picket, 
and at four o'clock the following morning we were at Win- 
chester. 

I handed the traitor temporarily over to the military 
authorities,, and sought repose. A few hours later, I started 
for Washington, and upon my arrival placed him in the Old 
Capitol prison, whose records will disclose his name. 

In this connection, chronologically, one or two incidents 
will present in bold relief the unparalleled malignity of 
feeling cherished by the rebels and their friends toward an 
unoffending race, because it was the providential occasion 
of their troubles, and true to the instincts of humanity in its 
desire for freedom ; a malignity intensified by the despotic 
possession and control of the body, and, so far as possible, 
of the soul of the enslaved. 

One day I was riding toward the railway depot in Wash 
ington, when I noticed a crowd, and saw blows descending 
upon the form of a colored boy. Upon getting nearer, I 
found that a large and brutal man was amusing himself and 
the spectators by beating a well-dressed mulatto lad, who 
was bitterly crying. I sprang from the carriage, and, taking 
the ruffian by the arm, inquired what he was about. Turn- 
ing a savage look upon me, he drew back to strike ; but it 
has been my custom, when necessary to use weapons of 
defense, to get the Jlrsi blow or shot. Before he could take 
his aim, he was lying on his back under my feet. The 
injured child ran away, while a comrade, who somehow 



216 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

recognized me, followed, repeating my name. I then re 
entered the carriage and drove on unmolested. 

There was another instance of fiendish hate, in which a 
woman was the principal actor. I was crossing the street, 
upon a dismal night, when just hefore me walked a lady in 
splendid attire, attended by a gentleman. Further on wa 
a poor colored girl, clearing the pavement, as well as sh 
could with her dilapidated broom, from the snow water and 
mud, for the penny any passer-by might drop into her hand. 
She stepped back at the approach of the couple referred to, 
and extended her hand. The Southern lady leaned toward 
the little mendicant, and, with a spiteful push, laid her tiat 
in the flooded street. She rose again, dripping and shiver- 
ing. I confess I was angry ; and, going before her, I re- 
marked : — 

" That was very unladylike ; a specimen of the politeness 
of the chivalry, I suppose?" 

She replied excitedly: "How dare you speak thus to 
me !" adding epithets of scorn toward the abolitionist. 

Her escort then took up the gauntlet, and inquired my 
name, handing me his card. I told him, and invited him to 
call. Both parties were bound for the post-office, where we 
again met, and again the lady' s friend demanded satisfaction. 
I gave him a glimpse of my six-shooter, and intimated that 
he had better drop the subject, which he decided to do, and 
I heard no more from him. 



CHAPTER XV. 

GIGANTIC VICES OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL 

Gambling and the Gamblers — The Purpose to Break up the Lens Discouraged— Th« 
Midnight Raid — Results — Drinking and Liquor Saloons — The Descent upon them 
— Broken up — Licentiousness and its Patrons — The Raid on their Haunts at Dead 
of Night — The Arrests. 

I HAVE made some disclosures respecting the contraband 
trade in gaming-cards ; but it remains now to record tlie 
prevalence and ruinous effects of the vice of gambling itself, 
during the war, pre-eminently in the National capital. I 
have no desire to exaggerate the evils that lurk in the high 
or low places of society ; to speak of Washington in a carp- 
ing tone, as if it had been, or is, a Sodom beyond redemp 
tion ; nor do I wish to magnify my ofRce at the expense of 
any man's fair fame, whatever his position. 

But I can not be true to myself, the bureau I represented, 
nor yet to the people for whose sake I send forth these 
annals, and omit a narrative which will surprise and sadden 
thousands. And may the country we love, the families, the 
youth of the land, profit by the recital. It is well known, 
that there have always been in large cities what are called 
"gambling hells" — costly houses, fitted up with elegance, 
and furnished with everything to attract the eye, and lend 
fascination to the destructive pastime. Indeed, many virtu- 
ous citizens earnestly defend the existence of this and other 
unblushing vices as necessary evils ; when, there can be no 
crime which the law should not reach, and will, if fearlessly 
wielded by its officers, and they, in turn, are sustained by 
the people. 

In Washington, gambling increased naturally and inev- 
itably, with the progress of the war. It is not a pleasant 
thing to say, that the patronage of the gaming-table had 
been drawn largely from members of Congress; to whom 



218 UNITED STATES SECRET SEKYIOE. 

were added, with the increasing number of officers gathering 
to the capital, many high in military command. With the 
jdemand for such haunts of "sporting men," their number 
multiplied until I had a list of more than a hundred houses, 
many of which were gorgeous beyond description. The 
fitting up of a single place of this kind cost twenty-five 
thousand dollars. 

The terrible fact which drew my attention to the subject 
was the discovery that nine in every ten of the defalcations 
by paymasters, and others in the employment of the Govern- 
ment, were occasioned in every instance by losses at the 
card table. I recovered forty thousand dollars which had 
passed into the hands of gamblers from those of a trusted 
and respected official. 

I called on the military commander of the district, and 
was discouraged in my purpose of testing the statute on 
gaming in the capital. The popular acquiescence in this 
state of things, the patronage of distinguished men, and the 
character of the proprietors of the "hells," were the argu 
ments used by that officer. Still, I was not convinced, but 
the more decided to proceed to business. 

I accordingly mustered my entire force of assistants, and 
detailed to them my plans. We were to move at the same 
moment, surround the dozen or more gaming-houses on 
Pennsylvania Avenue, and at the designated time, to pre- 
vent any concert of action by the proprietors, or conceal- 
ment of their business, to enter and break them up. It was 
half-past two o'clock in the morning, when the dash was 
made, the gamblers arrested, and their houses closed. 

The next morning brought intense excitement among tbe 
sporting gentlemen — some denouncing the interference, and 
others offiiring bribes. A number of them raised a sum of 
more than twenty thousand dollars for me, if I would allow 
them to resume their lucrative calling. It is scarcely neces- 
sary to say, that I refused to pause in the reform commenced. 

Mr. Lincoln sent for me, and I repaired to the White 
House, to find him carelessly sitting in shirt-sleeves and 
slippers, ready to receive me. He said : — 

"Well, Baker, what is the trouble between you and the 
gamblers 1" 



GAMBLING AND GAMBLERS. 219 

1 told my story. He laiiglied, and said : — 

"I used to play penny-ante when I ran a flat-boat out 
U est, but for many years liave not touched a card." 

I stated to him tlie havoc gambling was making with the 
army, alluded to before, when he approved my course, but 
reminded me of the difficulties in the way of reform. 

I replied : "I can not fight the gamblers and the Govern- 
ment both." 

The President replied : "You won't have to fight /Tie." 

I added : " It i5 a fight ; and all I ask is fair play : that 
the Government will let me alone, and I will break up the 
business." 

And, with this perfect understanding, we parted for the 
tdme. 

Remarked one of the gamesters to me : " After all, I don't 
care ; it has cost me five thousand dollars a month to keep 
officers still." 

Tlie result was, the business was effectually spoiled in 
Washington, and some of the leaders in it removed to other 
cities ; the power of wholesome law was vindicated, the offend- 
ers punished, and Washington saved, for the time, from one 
of its greatest curses ; men of commanding position exposed, 
and young men saved from the serpent' s charm and fang. 

I shall leave this topic with the final report made to the 
proper authority : — 

Offiob Provost-Marshal Wak DErARXMENT, 1 
Washington, ^((t/(«< 26, ls63. f 

Hon. E. A. Stanton, Secretary of War : — 

Sib — I have the honor to submit the following statement in relation to 
certain illegal establishments in this city, and the steps taken by me for their 
suppression. 

I refer to the gambling-houses of Washington. The evils that grow 
lirectly out of tlie unrestrained practice of gambling are too apparent, and 
ave beer, too often and elotiuently described, to require more than the mere 
mention to awaken the indignation of all honest and true men, and call forth 
the most strenuous eftor1,s for their suppression. The peculiar character of 
the population of this city, com{)osed largely of young men renioved from the 
restraiuta of home, and the influences of the fiimily circle, offers inducements 
to the gambling fraternity by which they have thus far largely profited. 
There are more professional gamblers in this city to-day, than in the city of 
New York, and two weeks since there were more gambling-houses. 

I have had reoorted to me no less than pie hundred and sixty- three of 



220 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

those establishraentg, where games of ch.ince were openly permitted, anO 
w here gathered niglitly, hundreds, and I might perhaps say with truth, thoa- 
sands of the young and middle-aged men of this city, including always a larga 
pioi)ortion of persons in Government employ. In such dens of ruin could be 
found almost every night officers of all grades, paymasters and other disbura- 
Irig officers, clerks in the ditTerent departments, and persons whose escape 
from certain ruin lay in the direction of abusing the public trusts confided to 
them, and retrieving their losses at the expense of the Government. 

I might cite cases of this nature where disgraced officials of prominent 
standing have openly pointed to gamblers and garabling-hou-es as the cause* 
of ineir downfall ; and in more than one instance Government money to A 
large amount has been recovered from parties who knew perfectly well that 
tlieir plunder was the proceeds of official crime and dishonor. 

So gigantic had this evil become, so utterly, through powerful local influ- 
ences, beyond the control of the civil authorities, so intense the desire for its 
suppression by those who know its significance as a leading inducement to 
crime, and the most prominent element in demoralizing both the officers and 
men of our armies, that I resolved upon the adoption of the only remedy 
available and sure of success, and that was to peremptorily close every 
known gambling-house in the city. 

About two weeks since I received orders and detailed officers for that 
purpose, and those orders have been so eflTectively carried into execution, 
that public gambling has entirely ceased, and will not be resumed so long as 
the control of the matter is left to me. It is true that the men who have 
carried on this infamous business still remain in the city, that they are labor- 
ing, by every means that money can purchase or influence command, to pro- 
cure a reversal of ray orders, and recommence their depredations upon Gov- 
ernment officials, under the shadow of Government authority. 

1 am credibly informed tiiat movements are being made, by parties claim- 
ing higli consideration in official quarters, with the view of protecting tho 
Interests of the unemi)loyed gamblers, and reopening the doors of those 
gambling hells which I have summarily closed, but which, if unlocked, will 
again be filled with crowds of swindlers and their unliappy victims. 

I have tliought it my <luty, under a full knowledge of all the facts in the 
case, to tiius briefly call your attention to tlie matter, in the earnest h()pe 
that the efforts I have made to rid this city of its greatest pest and nuisance 
will receive the approbation and earnest support of the War Department and 
of the Governmeat authorities. 

I am, sir, your obedient servant, 
(Signed) L. 0. Baker, 

Colonel and Provost-Marshal War Department. 

Upon reading the above report, my course was fully sua 
tained by the Secretary of War, who, when convinced of 
the existence of a wrong, was ever ready and prompt t« 



LIQUOR-SHOPS. 221 

act to the extent of Lis jurisdiction and influence for its anp* 
pression. 

Another kindred and gigantic vice was unblushingly 
doing its work of death, which I could not overlook. The 
most superficial observer of Washington must have noticed 
the unusual number of drinking places, in every form and 
under every possible disguise. Wherever soldiers were 
stationed, or army work in progress, tliero was seen at leas 
the beer barrel and whisky demijohn. Old street corners 
and vacant lots were occupied with the bar, around which lay 
the intoxicated victims of their poison — the "boys in blue." 
In the suburbs, under the shadow of hospitals, and beside 
bridges, the liquor booth was reared, until it was estimated 
that not less than thirty -semn hundred such fountains of 
ruin were in active operation. In spite of the most stringent 
municipal and military regulations, the traffic went on un- 
checked, and daily increasing. The imposition of a fine, or 
incarceration for a few hours in a guard-house, was a mere 
joke to the speculators in the morals and lives of men. But 
to enter the saloons, and, with the heavy blows of the ax, 
to crufeh in the barrel-head, bring decanters in fragments to 
the flovyr, and then lay the structure itself in ruins, was too 
expensive a jest to be often repeated. 

In the vicinity of Twenty-second and G Streets were the 
headquarters of the depot quartermaster. Here were located 
the Government warehouses, storehouses, workshops, manu- 
factories, and corrals, employing eight thousand men oi 
more. 

Two sides of an entire square were occupied by the low- 
est places of intoxication. In many of them, the entire stock 
in trade was a cask of lager beer and a gallon of unknown 
and villainous compound called Bourbon whisky, dealt ou 
in an old rusty tin cup, at ten cents per drink. In these 
dens could be seen, at all hours of the day and night, the 
common soldier, the teamster, and the mechanic. I distinct 
ly recollect, that on the eve of an important battle, wheu 
necessary to dispatch to the front, at an hour's notice, \ 
train of one hundred wagons, not five Government teamsterj 
vere sufficiently sober to move forward. 

When aU other means, laws, and agents had failed to 



222 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

reach and remedy the frightful evil, my aid, it will appeal 
from the correspondence quoted, was invoked. 1 orficially 
gave notice to the occupants of these saloons, that they must 
close them by four o'clock, the next day, or take the conse- 
quences of a refusal to comply. 

They had so often before been warned, that no attention 
was given to my caution. At the expiration of the appointed 
time, with my employees, all armed with axes, I proceeded 
to the dens of Bacchus, and commenced the work of destruc- 
tion. Soon the long lines of liquor shops were leveled to 
the ground, and only broken and empty barrels, crushed 
decanters, and rubbish remained. 

In one case, when the demolition began, the proprietor, 
with pencil and paper, made an inventory of his property. 
When asked what he proposed to do with it, he replied : 
"Make a bill," and scratched away. 

I replied: "It is hardly worth the while to present to 
the Government a bill for a few decanters and rattlesnake 
whisky ; I think I will tear down the house over your head, 
and then you can make out a bill worth your while." 

The assembling of a large army at the capital also drew 
after it those camp-followers who, of all l,ost humanity, are 
the most degraded — fallen women. While the gambler and 
liquor- seller's den sprang up at the first sound of war, as if 
spontaneously from the earili which echoed the tramp of 
armies, from every city came the painted wreck of woman- 
Hood, and hired the room at the fashionable hotel, the 
dwelling, the abandoned chamber, or the negro cabin, to 
traffic in the virtue, health, domestic peace, and highest 
interests of men. Along the Potomac, in front of Washing- 
ton, stretching for fifteen miles along the banks, lay the 
Union troops. 

The horses of staff officers, the ambulance, and orderlies, 
could be seen during the night, and after the sun had risen 
even, waiting before the kennels of vice, for those who were 
within them. 

Nor are the instances few, where the pretty, vain wl^e 
or daughter has been enticed over the lin(;s, to become the 
member of the domestic military circle. So notorious had 
this vice become, that I appealed to the Secretary of War, 



HOUSES OF ILL-FAME. 223 

who issued an order that no commissioned ofRcei or private 
could enter the city without a written pass from his com- 
manding general. A violation of the order would subject 
the offender to a lodgment in the guard-house. 

For a time, the order was partially regarded, but soon set 
aside, and the corruption seemed to gain strength by the tem- 
porary check. At length, for the two-fold purpose of en- 
forcing the order and exposing to public contempt the trans- 
gressors, I decided to make a descent upon some of tho 
representatiM houses of this class. 

The scenes which transpired at the hour of midnight, in 
these dens of corruption, beggar language. 

At an hour appointed, and with a concerted plan, similar 
in all its details to that which was sprung upon the gamblers, 
with my force I made a raid upon the disreputable houses. 

The moment came, the signal was given, doors were 
opened, the windows raised, and a scene of confusion and 
comico-tragic nature followed, which must have been wit- 
nessed to have been appreciated. Faces quite covered to 
avoid recognition, gas turned off, and a general stampede of 
gentlemen sporting martial emblems, were some of the inci- 
dents attending the onset upon the intrenchments of vice 
m midnight quiet of the nation's capital. Between sixty 
and seventy officers and men were arrested and locked up 
in the guard-house, for reflection upon their suddenly inter- 
rupted debauchery. 

When General Burnside opened fire upon Fredericks- 
burg, which was the first assault upon the town, the notice 
of bombardment given to the inhabitants was so short, 
that their flight from the city was a wild and hasty stam- 
pede, leaving the many palatial residences of this ancient 
seat of Virginia aristocracy in all the completeness of their 
peaceful occupancy. Among the first troops who crossed the 

river were those commanded by Bi igadier-General 

Upon reaching the elegant mansion of Commodore G., they 
immediately tore down the rich curtains, and pillaged the 
apartments adorned with exp msive works of art, brought 
by members of the family from Europe. The feeling among 
tlie troops then seemed to be, that an enemy's house and 
" chattels personal " were common plunder. Oil paintings. 



UNITED STATES SECJRET SERVICE. 

bronze statnary, and family relics, were appropriated by the 
military visitors to the house of Commodore G., and seized 
by me upon their arrival at Washington. A few days later, 
the accomplished and beautiful Mrs. T., sister of Commodore 
G., came to the capital, and, dreading to meet me, as 1 after- 
ward learned, on account of the rumors which had reached 
her, that I was gifted with a special ferocity of nature, 
applied to Dr. S., a distinguished physician of Washington, 
whose acquaintance I had formed in a sick-room, who vol- 
unteered to accompany her to my office, assuring her of 
respectful treatment. 

With evident trepidation, she entered the room, and 
stated her errand. An elegant bronze horse, which had 
ornamented her brother's house, was then standing on my 
safe. I told her I saw no reason why these domestic trep 
sures, including heavy silver-ware, bearing the family name, 
should not be restored. The next day she called again, and 
spent some time looking over the opened boxes of ^-li^se 
family relics. She said at length : — 

" Can I have these again ?" 

'' Certainly, madam; they are of no use to Lue UoverL. 
ment." 

She burst into tears, thanked me, and retired. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

A PERILOUS ADVENTURE. 

Pope's Dafeat — Banks's Advance — The Importance of communicating with him— 
The Successful Attempt — Rebel Pursuers — The Escape. 

One of the most disastrous defeats of the Union army 
was that "of General Pope, when he was driven through the 
mountains of the Blue Ridge by General Lee, in the autumn 
of 1863. General Banks had left the Shenandoah Valley, 
bat knew nothing of the perilous condition of the army 
he was hastening to join, nor the danger that would attend 
his advance, with Lee's entire army across his path. To 
save his battalions, it was necessary to communicate to him 
the movements of the two armies. Excepting the route from 
Washington to Centreville, the rebels had full possession, 
and the road was exceedingly perilous. Innumerable rumors 
were floating about Washington, to the effect that Banks had 
met Lee, and was annihilated. The Secretary of War was 
unable to obtain any information of him. He had dispatched 
two messengers with instructions to him not to attempt a 
junction with Pope. One of them was captured, and the 
other came back, after several fruitless attempts to get be- 
yond Centreville, and refused to risk his life furtlier. 

Secretary Stanton, in this emergency, sent for me, and 
asked me if I had a man on my force daring and sagacious 
enough to carry the dispatches to Banks. 

"If you will prepare your messages," said I, "I will 
see tliat they are delivered ; or, at any rate, that an attempt 
is made to deliver them." 

I got ready at once for the uncertain excursion, and 
reported to Mr. Stanton for orders. He gave me the dis- 
patches, which I concealed under my clothes, next to my 

U 225 



226 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

body, and, mounting the celebrated racehorse ''Patchen, ' 
I galloped away from the Capital at six o'clock in the 
evening, reaching Centreville at ten. I reported to Gen- 
eral McDowell, and requested a fresh and' fleet horse. 1 
waited an hour, when the black clouds, which had been 
gathering overhead for some time, began to pour down a 
steady rain, and the air grew chill and dismal. 

The darkness was almost impenetrable to the vision. The 
roads were in a wretched condition — muddy, broken, and 
frequently obstructed. No horse, fit for such a journey — a 
journey requiring one sure of foot, sAvift, and perfectly* 
trained — could be found at that hour of the night, in the 
disorder of the army, and "Patchen" had already carried 
his owner thirty-five miles along a rough and toilsome route. 

These were the considerations which urged me to remain 
at McDowell's head-quarters until the journey might be com- 
menced with better auguries of safety. The darkness, how- 
ever, in itself was not unfavorable to the enterprise. By 
its help, 1 might hope to pass through regions occupied by 
the rebels, which would be utterly closed to me in daylight 
or moonlight. I could depend on "Patchen," in every 
emergency, to the extent of his strength, while a strange 
horse might give me infinite trouble, and involve me in 
great danger. But, above all, Banks's army must be saved, 
and hours were precious. 

As the only alternative, I remounted "Patchen," and 
plunged into the darkness. It was eight miles from Ma- 
nassas by the direct route, but I took the Gainesville road, 
which would increase the distance to twenty-four miles. 
After pursuing my benighted way, often guided solely by 
the instinct of the noble animal that bore me, at daybreak 
I came upon traces of the army for which I was searcliing. 
An interview with General Banks immediately followed, 
which conveyed to him the first intelligence of Pope's 
defeat, with orders to march for Alexandria as rapidly aa 
possible. 

Having accomplished the object of my adventure — to 
the great relief of that officer, who was intensely anxious 
to hear from Washington — within an hour I was on my 
way with dispatches to the Secretary of War. I determined, 



THE PURSUIT. 227 

without delay, to risk a daylight journey back, and re- 
traced my way to Bristow Station, from which, to avoid a 
circuitous course, I started for the rebel lines. After riding 
two miles, I caught a glimpse of the rebel army, in rapid 
march eastward, toward the old Bull Run battle-ground. 
There were infantry, cavalry, and artillery, in detached 
squads, occupying the entire country ahead, with occar 
sionally a small opening between them. Prudence would 
have dictated a speedy retreat, and as wide a circuit as 
would really be necessary for safety ; but I was very 
anxious to save the distance. I rode down to within three 
hundred yards of the line, and attempted to discover an 
opportunity for slipping through. 

I loitered in the rear for three-quarters of an hour, and 
finally observed an opening — a break in the train ; and, 
though I should certainly be seen, and must take my 
chances with the bullets, I determined to make the effort 
to pass at this point. I took my six-shooter in my right 
hand, partly concealing it at my side, grasped the reins 
firmly with my left, and started, at first slowly and cau- 
tiously, down the road. Before I had gone far, I was dis- 
covered and hailed. I made no answer, and immediately 
became a target for every soldier within hearing distance. 
I now nerved myself for a quick and desperate venture, 
and gave my horse the spurs. It was necessary either to 
turn back, or to pass within thirty feet of a whole squad 
of infantry — that being the only opening. I again lay 
down upon the neck of " Patchen," who shot by like an 
arrow. As he passed the troops, they fired, and the bullets 
flew thickly about him ; but horse and rider escaped unhurt. 
I raised myself in the saddle, and, with pistol in hand, 
waved an adieu to my disappointed foes ; then bending 
again to " Patchen' s" neck, he bore me rapidly from their 
sight. A cavalry force, who had heard the firing, now 
appeared in the distance, and began to discharge their car* 
bines at me. 

The cavalry at first numbered as many as forty. They 
continued the pursuit for a mile, when, one by one, they 
began to lag behind, firing generally an ineffectual parting 
ahot It was not long until only six or eight, who had 



228 UNITED STATES SECRET ^EKV1^JE. 

remarkably good horses, followed me, and tliey were too 
far behind to fire with any accuracy of aim. Sometimes, 
however, I became entangled in brush, or temporarily 
impeded by mud ; and, on two or three occasions, the 
foremost man rode to within twenty yards and fired. 

For nine miles I did not slacken my pace. Only three 
of the party were now chasing me, the rest having fallen 
behind. My horse was covered with foam and dust, and 
began to show signs of failing strength — the necessary result 
of so long travel, at so rapid a pace. My powers were 
strained to their utmost capacity. I had ridden almost 
continuously over a hundred miles, through mud, and 
rain, and darkness ; but this closing excitement called up 
the latent powers which every man possesses, but which 
only lend tlieir aid in the direst emergency. I saw a little 
hill ahead, and spurred on to get fairly over it before the 
other party reached its foot. I passed over, and was out 
of sight for tlie minute. I wheeled sharply round, and 
turned into a thick clump of pines, a little to the right, and 
there dismounting, stood holding by the saddle. 

I remained perfectly still, and the party rode past. They 
went on for a considerable distance, when one of them, 
perceiving that there was nobody ahead, turned his horse 
a jout, and rode back. lie came toward the pines, glancing 
eagerly this way and that. Ue was not more than twenty 
yards from me, when a movement of "Patchen" revealed 
his hidden man. My pursuer saw at a glance ray position, 
and raised his carbine to fire. 

A crisis had come in the encounter, and, raising the 
pistol still in my hand, I discharged it at my enemy. The 
horse sprang forward, and his rider fell. I then leaped 
into the saddle, gave the wounded man, who was on the 
point of rising, another shot, and rode out into the beaten 
path. The other two, hearing the report of the pistol, 
returned to the pursuit, while I struck off, at a right angle 
with the path, to pass them unobserved. They saw me, 
however, and dashed forward with great speed, one of them 
firins: his carbine, in the desperate endeavor to prevent my 
escape. Each backward glance revealed the frenzied excite* 



THE ESCAPE- 231 

ment of my foes, and their determination, at all hazards, to 
take me, either dead or alive. 

I now came to tlie banks of Bull Run, where the final 
struggle for dear life and liberty was at hand. Tlie stream 
was swollen, and it would require tlie best exertions of ray 
good steed to swim it. I knew that if tlie pursuers reached 
the bank before I reached the other side, I shonld be at th 
mercy of their bullets. On the other hand, I knew tha 
the Union forces occupied the opposite side of the stream — 
that being the boundary of the picket line — and that if 1 
shonld succeed in getting across siifely, the peril for that 
day was over. 

I spurred my horse to his final effort of speed, and was 
well ahead when I arrived at the stream. I plunged into it, 
and "Patchen" bravely breasted the swift current. It waa 
only eight or ten yards wide, and this distance was soon 
accomplished ; but the bank on the north side was almoat 
perpendicular, and the horse made two or three ineffectual 
efforts to scale it. I heard distinctly the shouts of the two 
men behind me, and, cheering "Patchen" with encouraging 
words, which he evidently understood as well as his rider, 
he sprang forward, and in a moment stood proudly on the 
top of the bank, while the echo of a shot, intended for me, 
died away over the waters from which I had just emerged. 

I dismounted, and went to the edge of the declivity to 
watch the movements of my pursuers. The first galloped 
down to the margin of the stream, and, after considerable 
urging, his horse commenced swimming across. Before I 
had occasion to fire, the Union pickets upon the bluff, hav- 
ing heard the enemy's shot, made their appearance. I 
shouted to them, and told them I was the bearer of dis- 
patches to the Secretary of War, and was chased by rebels. 
Immediately four or five bullets were on the way to the 
Confederate horseman, who was midway in the stream, 
lie tumbled from his saddle, and floated down the river, 
whose current was tinged with his blood. Hi-s comrade 
took the hint and disappeared in the distance. 

Relieved from the peril of pursuit, I remounted "Patch- 
en," and moved leisurely toward Washington, where 1 
arrived at three o'clock, p. m., and reported to the Wai 



232 CiJITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Depa/tment. I had ridden one hundred and twenty-four 
miles since about six o'clock of the preceding afternoon, 
without a monjent's sleep. I went to my quarters utterly 
prostrated with exhaustion. From the time the pursuit 
began, to have my pistol ready in my right hand, I had 
constantly held the rein in my left, which became so badly 
swollen, it required careful dressing for more than a week. 
Poor "Patcheu" looked more dilapidated than his master, 
and required good nursing for over a fortnight. 

Mr. Stanton expressed his satisfaction at the result in a 
characteristic manner, by simply saying to me, after reading 
my dispatches and hearing my story: "Well, go and telJ 
Mr. Lincoln." 



CHAPTER XVII. 

SPECULATION AND FRAUD. 

Derives ol Contractors — Detection of Forage Contractor — Ajpeal to the Presidfftt— 
Further Frauds as " Silent Partner". 

I^f ANY of the ingenious devices resorted to by contractors, 
by which, to gain their fraudulent ends without risk of 
detection have already been disclosed ; but I shall here 
give another illustration, which, on account of its boldness 
and success, deserves especial notice. 

I detected a conspicuouQ Government contractor in exten- 
sive speculations in the dob' very of forage. He was arrested 
and placed in the "Old Capitol prison." His father, very 
indignant at his son's imprisonment on such an accusa- 
tion, which he, in simple faith, considered unmerited, and 
which would inevitably bring disgrace upon his family, 
applied to the Secretary of War for his release. The father 
was a prominent politician of Pennsylvania, and, at the time 
of his interview with the Secretary, was accompanied by 
Members of Congress, besides other friends. 

He appeared to rest in the belief that there would be 
little or no difficultly in obtaining the acquittal of his son, 
and strongly urged, as a reason, the absurdity of supposing 
that a gentleman of character so high, could have designedly 
defrauded the Govei-nment. 

But the Secretary of War, having sufficient evidence to 
be convinced of the guilt of the contractor, was unmoved b^ 
his entreaties, and refused to grant his petition. 

Not discoui'^god by the vain attempt, he next made 
application to President Lincoln. During this interview, 
the prisoner' n c^.use was not the only topic of conversation 
but Colonel Baker's discipline and rule constituted also a 

233 



234 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

very important and lengthy one. The patriotic Congressmen 
denounced the latter in unqualified terms, for having had 
the audacity to arrest a highly respectable citizen, and con- 
fine him within the walls of the American Bastile. They 
remarked that such outrages, committed by detectives, if 
allowed, would arouse the people, who would hurl from 
their ofiices these minions of power. 

They seemed to think that, if they could convince the 
President of the righteousness of their attacks upon the 
detective system, their work toward the release of the 
prisoner would be more speedily accomplished. 

This, with much more, delivered in a very emphatic 
manner, made so strong a plea, that Mr. Lincoln thought it 
necessary to consult me. He accordingly sent for me, and 
requested me to relate to him all the circumstances connected 
with the detection and arrest of the contractor. 

I gave him as explicit an account as I could, and then 
asked his permission to hold the prisoner in custody twelve 
hours longer ; adding that if, at the expiration of that time, I 
should be unable to produce facts sufficiently proving his 
guilt, and my rightful authority for arresting him, I would 
consent to his acquittal. 

The President approved of this proposition, which was 
sent to the prisoner's friends; and the next morning, his 
father, attended by the Congressional delegation, referred 
to before, called at the War Department, to notify the 
Secretary that the President had promised to set the pris- 
oner at liberty. 

The same morning, I had carried to the Secretary of War 
an extended and unreserved confession of guilt by the con- 
tractor. This was now produced, and read in the presence 
of the whole company. In it, the writer very minutf ly 
related the manner in which he committed the frauds ; ho 
also, to prove his sincerity, handed to me thirty -two thou- 
sand dollars, one of the items in his speculations at the 
expense of the Government. 

The effect upon so proud a father of the overwhelming 
intelligence conveyed in this full confession of the contractor, 
and before so numerous an audience, may be, perhaps, par- 
tially, but never fully imagined. The undeniable evidence 



THE CRIME DISCLOSED. 235 

of his son's guilt, coming so forcibly upon him, at the very 
moment that he had fondly anticipated would clear him 
from all suspicions, and place him higher than before in 
public opinion, on account of his being so unjustly arrested 
and imprisoned, bowed him down Avith shame and sorrow. 

The distinguished friends who had accompanied him to 
the Department, and who, witii him, had anticipated a far 
different issue of their proceedings, were speechless with 
astonishment and chagrin. 

The silence was finally disturbed by a melancholy allu- 
sion to the natural depravity of man, and soon afterward 
the uncomfortable parties dispersed. 

This short but sad sketch of the fraudulent undertakings 
of a contractor, is but a solitary instance, among many others 
of a similar kind, which might be recorded. 

The Secretary of War, wisely judging that the criminal 
had forfeited all just claim to public benefit, passed an order, 
which took from him the privilege of making any further 
contracts with the Government. But so steeped in villany 
was his nature, that he concluded to evade the order, and 
still, though in a more surreptitious manner, pursue his 
swindling operations. 

He submitted a proposal, through a partner in business, 
to the department quartermaster at Alexandria, to furnish 
what is called "mixed grain," or oats and corn, in the pro- 
portion of twenty pounds of oats and twelve of corn. It 
will be well to remark that, in this transaction, he took 
especial care to keep his name secret, and acted, therefore, 
as the "silent partner." 

Oats were worth ninety, and corn forty cents. Up to 
this time, no mixed grain had been received by the Govern- 
ment. The contractor, therefore, prepared a glowing state- 
ment of the advantages of the grain to the Government. 
Ills enthusiastic assertions regarding the advantages to be 
obtained from the mixed grain were so convincing, that, 
upon the recommendation of the department quartermaster, 
the Government authorized a contract for the delivery of it, 
to the large amount of three million bushels. 

I was ignorant of the negotiations until the aflEair had 
»rriv :)d at its consummation. Then, as confident ae l^ I lad 



236 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

been cognizant of the whole development of the transaction, 
of a fraudulent operation, I immediately commenced the 
work of its detection. 

It is manifest that the difference of price in the two kinds 
of grain was considerable ; and, therefore, it was an advan- 
tage, which the contractor would not willingly let slip by, 
to deliver a greater proportion of oats than of corn, as the 
price of the former was so much greater than the other. 

The profits in this single contract we may safely estimate 
at not less than the almost incredible sum of five hundred 
thousand dollars. 

At this date, my attention was attracted to a fruitful 
source of gain at the expense of virtue, and even decency : 
the traflSc in corrupt literature and art. I know of no lower 
grade of depravity than that of this shameless business. 
The vile book, photograph, and wood-cut, were scattered by 
sutlers, mail agents, and others, throughout the army. I 
found them in large quantities in the mail-bags of the Gov- 
ernment. The extent to which the fiendish business of ruin- 
ing the morals and bodies of men was carried, would scarcely 
be believed by the good people of the rural districts, or even 
of the cities. 

The art of photography and printing has flooded the 
country with these cheap and shameless appeals to the 
lowest and most brutal passions. No quiet hamlet is so 
sheltered by kindly moral influences, that it is not reached 
by the poison of this trade. But the absence from home 
of the many thousands of our volunteers — separated as they 
were from all the softening and elevating restraints of 
domestic/ and social life — aflbrded an opportunity for these 
human vampires, who do their work by stealth, unknown 
before in this country. They appreciated and improved it. 

The illegal and infamous source of gain came to my 
knowledge in various ways and from different quarters. 
The post-office being the principal channel through which 
the business was carried on, I made a fonnal application 
to the Postmaster-General for aid in reaching the outrage : — 

I received all the encouragement I desired, and entered 
immediately to check, if I could not break up, the disgrace- 
ful traffic. I soon got on the track of a large quantity of the 



A GRATEFUL SOUTHERN LADY. 237 

vile goods, on their way to the army. They were seized, 
and their estimated value, according to the purchase-price, 
was not less than twenty-two thousand dollars. It was 
decided to make a bonfire of this pile of sensual trash. 
Our j)ure-minded President intimated that he would like to 
see tlie contiagration. It was kindled in front of the \\'hit€ 
House, and he enjoyed the sight, with the zest of a noble 
nature, to which vice was a loathing. 



CHA PTER XVIII 

A FEMALE ADVEXTUREB 

^oisau in the Rebellion — Her Aid indispensable in the worst as well as the bwt 
Causes — A Spicy Letter — Miss A. J. — Vidocq's Experience. 

*'A WOMAN in every plot" is almost a proverb among 
those who have had much to do with successful conspiracies 
and treachery. 

It will be recollected that Miss Ford, aid-de-carap of the 
cavalry commander Stuart, betrayed General Stoughton and 
his stall' to guerrilla Moseby's band. I find a spicy epistle on 
the subject, from a lady of the first standing, among the in- 
tercepted correspondence of the war, which is a fair speci- 
men of refined hate to the North, along with a touch of 
sympathy with a betrayed and captive Union ofl^cer : — 

Gboegbtown. 

Dear J. — Ina is sending off a letter, in wliich, I presume, she tells you the 
new$ of the day . (You know how mucli of that article there is in George- 
town.) So I will commence at once with my little piece of business, although 
I presume you have heard that General Stoughton is now a prisoner in Rich- 
mond. Thanh Ueaven! lie has at last reached the desired haven, but I fear 
he is rather in a destitute conditiun. Three impudent rebels dashed into Fair- 
fax and took the gentleman out of his bed, with a number of other soldiers, 
horses, and contrabands; and I hear that some were in a state of nudity. 
What a grand entree it must have been into Richmond. But while I rejoice 
that his little hands are kept from "picking and steiiliiig," and that his noble 
efforts for crushing this wicked rebellion are now confined witliin four walls, 
yet I can't help feeling a little sorry for the discomfort he will necessarily 
Buffer, and which he richly deserves — a prisoner among strangers, and lie must 
be without clothing, money, or anj of the necessaries of life. Now, Aunt 
Josie, please ask Colonel Leftrich, or any of the family, if at any time they 
go to Richmond, won't they be so kind as to go and see him. You know, 
Joe, they are people of much wealth and standing, and no matter what Gen- 
eral Stoughton might want, in the way of money or clothing, would be most 
obeerfoUy returned. Probably Colonel Leftrich would write to some friend 

238 



MISS A J.'S STATEMENT. 239 

In Richmond. His mother and sister, who were with him at the time, are 
both inclined to be Sonthem, and would be so grateful for any kindneas shown 
to General Stoughton. When you write to Cousin E., ask him, if he comes 
to Richmond, which he very often does, to go and see him, and do any thing 
for him he can. If you can't get any one else, please write to John Ilucter, 
and beg hira to go at once, and do what he can. I highly approve of hia 
being kept behind a bolt and bar. But please. Aunt Joe, attend to it at onoe, 
and ask Colonel Leftrich if he will not write to some friend. Yon know, at 
least Ina told you in her last letter, that after you left, General Stonghton 
went to Mrs. G. L.'s and got Charley's valise for me; and he has always beer 
so remarkably kind to me, that I am very anxious, in some way. to repay it. 

Yours, «kc., Fannik. 

One of the most strangely romantic female histories of the 
war, wliich came within the investigations of the bureau, 
was that of Miss A J. 

Statements have been already made concerning female 
visitors to the army. Much of the information communi- 
cated to the rebels was given by these irresponsil)le charac- 
ters passing through rebel and Union lines. The condition 
of morals among officers who found congenial companionship 
in the society of such women, is apparent, and needs no 
coloring from pen or pencil. 

This unfortunate and degraded young woman was arrest- 
ed, while attempting to pass the Confederate pickets, witliin 
three days after giving her solemn parole not to cross the 
Potomac into Virginia during the rebellion. Upon the ear- 
nest request of the Governor and a distinguished Senator of 
Massachusetts, she was again released from confinement, on 
parole ; after which she made the subjoined confession : — 

STATEMENT OF MISS A. J. 

My name ia A. J. I was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ara twenty 
years of age. I have neitlier father or mother living. I have two sisters. In 
August, 1861, I left my home at Cambridge, without the knowledge or con- 
sent of my uncle, sisters, or friends, and came direct to Washington, with the 
intention of offering my services as a hospital-nurse, which was refused, on 
account of my age. I tlien procured a pass from General Wool to visit the 
different camps in and about Baltimore. I had no particular object or busi- 
ness in the army, but went out of mere curiosity. I spent some months in 
this way. "While in the various camps, I was furnished by the commanding 
Dfficers with a tent, and sometimes occupied quarters with the officers. In 
the fall of 1862 I went to the Army of the Potomac, with no different object 



240 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVIOE. 

In view ; spent some time at General S.'s headquarters at Fairfax Court 
House. Daring this time was the guest of the General and his staff officer*. 
After General S. left Fairfax Court House I went to Centreville. I do not 
now recollect who was in command at the time. I remained at Centreville 
but a short time, then went to Falls Church, from there to Fairfax Court 
House. In June or July last I attempted to pass the Federal pickets, lor tlie 
purpose of visiting Drainesville, then outside our lines; was arrested, and 
talcen to General S.'s headquarters, and by him sent to General M., wlio ai 
once released me, and sent me back to General S.'s headquarters, where I 
remained until the army returned from Maryland. General S. was then 
relieved, when I joined General K.'s command, and went to the front, as tlie 
friends and companions of General 0. We made our headquarters near Hart- 
wood Church. Stopping at this point. General K. became very jealous of 
General C.'s attentions to me, and went to General M.'s headquarters and 
charged me with being a rebel spy, I was then arrested and sent to General 
M., Military Governor of Washington, who committed me to tlie Old Capitol 
Prison. I have spent two years and a half in the Union army, and during 
this time have been the guest of different officers, they furnishing me with 
horses, orderlies, escorts, sentinels at my tent, or quarter rations, &c. I have 
invariably received passes from these officers, to go and return when and 
where I pleased. During the time that I was with the Army of the Potoniao 
I invariably wore major straps. I have repeatedly passed the outside pickets 
of the Federal army, several miles beyond, into tlie rebel lines; and was once 
captured by Moseby and taken to Aldie, to the house of a Mrs. Yankes Davis, 
whose husband is a Federal scout or spy. I was detained one or two days, 
then allowed to return. I further state, that during no part of the time that 
I was with the Federal army was I employed as guide, scout, spy, or hospital- 
nurse, but, as stated before, a comjianion to tiie various commanding officers, 
as a private friend or companion. On the 7th day of November, 1863, 1 was 
released from the Old Capitol Prison, by order of the Secretary of War. 
During the time of my confinement I became intimately acquainted with 
Captain M., Mr. J. S. L., the superintendent, clerks, and others. On my 
release Mr. L. advised me to go to the house of a Mrs. McC, where I was at 
the time of my arrest. In consequence of Mr. L.'s intimacy with me, during 
my imprisonment, Mr. W. discharged him. I then went to Colonel J. A. II., 
Ht the War Department, and informed him that L. had been discharged, and 
the reason. Colonel H. then directed that L. should be assigned to duty at 
General A.'s headquarters, on condition that I would leave the city and 
return to my home at Cambridge. I did go to Boston, as I promised, and 
Mr. L. obta.ned his situation at General A.'s headquarters. I remained away 
about three weeks, when I returned to Mrs. McC.'s house. 

On my discharge from prison, I signed a parole, one of the conditions of 
which was " that I should not enter the State of Virginia " without proper 
permission, during the rebellion ; but, notwithstanding this obligation, 1 have 
made several ineffectual attempts to do so. In reference to my present arrest, 
I desire to state that I informed Mr. G. R. that I had procured a pass, in con- 
Dectiou with M^or W., of the Treasury Department, and Mrs. Mosen, that on 



A WOMAN AND THE FRENCn SECRET SERVICE. 241 

Saturday afternoon last I proceeded in a carriage, with the two persona 
referred to, viz., Mr. W. and Mrs. M., to the Aqueduct Bridge, where we 
were halted by the guard, who informed us that Mr. W. and Mrs. M. could g« 
on, but that Miss J. could not ; that I then returned to Mrs, McO.'s. I also 
informed Mr. R. that said pass was procured for me through the influence of 
a brigadier-general (not naming him). I also iuformed others, at Mrs. McO.'s, 
that I made the attempt to cross, but was turned back by the guard. During 
the entire time since my leaving home, in 1861, I have led a very roving, and, 
may be, questionable life. I am now very unwell, owing to my long confine- 
ment and other causes, and desire to be released from custody, in order that 
I may return to my home and friends ; and, if released, I pledge myself not 
to return to Washington during the present rebellion. 

Tlie proper officer certified as follows : — 

City of Washington^ District of Columbia : 

Personally appeared before me A. J., who, being by mo duly sworn, on 
lier oath said that she had read the foregoing statement, and that she knew 
the contents thereof; that all the statements therein contained are true, to 
the best of her knowledge. That said statement is made without fear or com- 
pulsion, or promise of reward, but freely on her part. 

The great detective, Vidocq, quoted in the first part of this 
volume, has an instance both of woman's crafty management, 
and his own, particuhirly interesting in this connection : — 

It is very rare that a fugitive galley-slave escapes with any intention of 
amendment; most frequently the aim is to gain the capital, and then put in 
practice the vicious lessons acquired at the Bagnes, which, like most of our 
prisons, are schools in which they perfect themselves in the art of appro- 
priating to themselves the property of another. Nearly all celebrated robbers 
only became expert after passing some time at the galleys. Some have 
undergone five or six sentences before they became thorough scoundrels; 
such as the famous Victor Desbois, and his comrade, Mongenet, called Le 
Tambour (Drummer), who, during various visits to Paris, committed a vast 
many of those robberies on which people love to descant as proofs of boldness 
and address. 

These two men, who, for many years, were sent away with every chain, 
and as frequently escaped, were once more back again in Paris ; the polic« 
got information of it, and I received the orders to search for them. All testi- 
fied that they had acquaintances with other robbers no less formidable than 
themselves. A music mistress, whose son, called Noel with the Spectacles, a 
celebrated robber, was suspected of harboring these thieves. Madame Noel 
was a well-educated woman, and an admirable musician ; she was esteemed a 
most accomplished performer by the middle class of tradespeople, who 
employed her to give lessons to their daughters. She was well known in the 
Marias and the Quartier Saint Denis, where the polish of her manners the 



242 UNTTED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

elegance of her langnage, the gentility of her dress, and that .ndeacr bahU 
air of superiority, which the reverses of fortune can never entirely destroy, 
gave rise to the current belief that she was a member of one of those numerous 
families to whom the Revolution had only left its hauteur and its regrets. 

To those who heard and saw her, without being acquainted, Madame Noel 
was a most interesting little woman; and besides, there was something touch 
ing in her situation; it was a mystery, and no one knew what had become of 
her husband. Some said that she had been early left in a state of widow- 
hood ; others, that she had been forsaken; and a third affirmed that she was 
a victim of seduction. I know not which of these conjectures approaches 
nearest the truth, but I know very well that Madame Noel was a litUe bru- 
neiie, whose sparkling eye and roguish look were softened down by that 
gentle demeanor, which seemed to increase the sweetness of her smile, and 
the tone of her voice, which was in the highest degree musical. There "vas a 
mixture of the angel and demon in her face, but the latter perhaps prepon- 
derated; for time had developed those traits which characterize evil thoughts. 

Madame Noel was obliging and good, but only toward those individuals 
who were at issue with justice ; she received them as the mother of a soldier 
would welcome the comrade of her son. To insure a welcome with her, it 
was enough to belong to the same "regiment" as Noel with the Spectacles; 
and then, as much for love of him, and from inclination, perhaps, she would 
do all in her power to aid, and was constantly looked upon as a " mother of 
robbers." At her house, they found shelter ; it was she who provided for all 
their wants. She carried her complaisance so far as to seek "jobs of work " 
for them; and when a passport was indispensably requisite for their safety, 
she was not quiet until, by some means, she had succeeded in procuring one. 
Madame Noel had many friends among her own sex, and it was generally in 
one of their names that the passport was obtained. A powerful mixture of 
oxygenated muriatic acid obliterated the writing, and the description of the 
gentleman who required it, as well as the name which it suited his purpose 
to assume, replaced the feminine description. Madame Noel had generally 
by her a 8upi)Iy of these accommodating passports, wliich were filled accord- 
ing to circumstances, and the wants of the party requiring such assistance. 

All the galley-slaves were children of Madame Noel, but those were the 
most in favor who could give her any account of her son; for them her devo- 
tion was boundless. Iler house was open to all fugitives, who made it their 
rendezvous; and there nvust be gratitude even among them, for the police 
wore informed that they came frequently to Mother Noel's, for the pleasure 
of seeing her only ; she was the confidante of all their plans, all their adven- 
tures, all their fears; in fact, they communicated all unreservedly, and never 
had cause to regret their reliance on her fidelity. 

Mother Noel had never seen me; my features were quite unknown to her, 
although she had frequently heard of my name. There was, then, no diffi- 
culty in presenting myself before her, without giving her any cause for alann 
but to get her to point out to me the hiding-place of the men whom I sough 
to detect, was the end I aimed at, and I felt that it would be impossible to 
attain it without much skill and management. 



MADAME NOEL AND VIDOCQ. 243 

At first, I resolved on passing myseif off as a fagitive galley-slave ; but it 
was necessary to borrow the name of some thief, whom her son or his com- 
rades had mentioned to her in advantageous terms. Moreover, a little resem- 
blance was positively requisite, and I endeavored to recollect if there were not 
one of the galley-slaves whom I knew had been associated with Noel with the 
Spectacles, and I could not remember one of my age, or whose person and 
features at all resembled mine. At last, by dint of much effort of memory, 
I recalled to mind one Germain, alias "the Captain," who had been an inti- 
mate acquaintance of Noel's, and although our similarity was very sliglit, yet 
I determined on personating him. Germain, as well as myself, had often 
escaped from the Bagnes, and that was the only point of resemblance between 
ns. lie was about my age, but a smaller framed man ; he had dark-brown 
hair, mine was light ; he was thin, and I tolerably stout ; his complexion was 
sallow, and mine fair, with a very clear skin ; besides, Germain had an exces- 
eively long nose, took a vast deal of snuff, which, begriming his nostrils out- 
side, and stuffing them up witliin, gave him a peculiarly nasal tone of voice. 
I had much to do in personating Germain ; but the difficulty did not deter 
me. My hair, cut d la mode des hagnes, was dyed black, as well as my beard, 
after it had attained a growth of eight days ; to embrown my countenance, I 
washed it with white walnut liquor; and to perfect tlie imitation, I garnished 
my upper lip thickly with a kind of coffee-grounds, which I plastered on by 
means of gum arabic, and thus became as nasal in my twang as Germain 
himself. My feet were doctored with equal care; I made blisters on them by 
rubbing in a certain composition, of which I had obtained the receipt at 
Brest. I also made the marks of the fetters ; and when all my toilet was 
finished, dressed myself in the suitable garb. I had neglected nothing which 
could complete the metamorphosis — neither the shoes nor the marks of those 
horrid letters GAL. The costume was perfect ; and the only thing wanting 
was a hundred of those companionable insects which people the solitudes of 
poverty, and which were, I believe, together with locusts and toads, one of 
the seven plagues of old Egypt. I procured some for money ; and as soon as 
they were a little accustomed to their new domicile, which was speedily the 
case, I directed my steps toward the residence of Madame Noel, in the Rue 
Ticquetonne. 

I arrived there, and knocking at the door, she opened it : a glance con- 
vincing her how matters stood with me, she desired me to enter, and on 
finding myself alone with her, I told her who I was. "Ah, my poor lad," 
ehe cried, " there is no occasion to tell me where you have come from ; I am 
cure you must be dying with hunger I" 

" Oh, yes," I answered, "I am indeed hungry; I have tasted nothing for 
twenty-four hours." 

Instantly, without further question, she went out, and returned with a 
dish of hog's puddings and a bottle of wine, which she placed before me. 1 
did not eat, I actually devoured ; I stuffed myself, and all had disappeared 
without my saying a word between my first mouthful and my last. Mother 
Noel was delighted at my appetite, and when the clolh was removed she gave 
me a dram. *' Ah, mother," I exclaimed, embracing her, " you restore me to 



244 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Hfe ; Noel told me how good and kind you were:" and I then began to gi»« 
her a stntement of how I had left her son eighteen days before, and gave her 
information of all the prisoners in whom she felt interested. The details 
were so true and well known, that she could have no idea that I was an im- 
postor. 

"You must have heard of rae," I continued; "I have gone through many 
an enterprise, and experienced many a reverse. I am called Germain, or th» 
captain; you must know ray name." 

" Yes, yes, my friend," she said, " I know you well ; my son and hit 
friends have told me of your misfortunes; welcome, welcome, my dear cap- 
tain. But heavens 1 what a state you are in: you must not remain in such a 
plight. I see you are infested with those wretched tormenting beasts who 
; but I will get you a change of linen, and contrive something as a com- 
fortable dress for you." 

I expressed my gratitude to Madame Noel ; and when I saw a good 
opportunity, without giving cause for the slightest suspicion, I asked what 
had become of Victor Desbois and his comrade Mongenet. "Desbois and 
Le Tambour? Ahl my dear, do not mention them, I beg of you," she 
replied; "that rogue Vidocq has given them very great uneasiness; since 
one Joseph (Joseph Longueville, an old police inspector), whom they have 
twice met in the streets, told them that there would soon be a search in this 
quarter, they have been compelled to cut and run, to avoid being taken." 

"What," cried I with a disappointed air, "are they no longer in Paris?" 

"Oh, they are not very far distant," replied Mother Noel; "they have 
not quitted the environs of the 'great village' (Paris): I dare say we shall 
Boon see them, for I trust they wUl speedily pay me a visit. I think they will 
be delighted to find you here." 

" Oh, I assure you," said I " that they will not be more delighted at the 
meeting than myself; and if you can write to them, I am sure they would 
eagerly send for me to join them." 

" If I knew where they were," replied Mother Noel, " I would go myself 
and seek for them to please you ; but I do not know their retreat, and the 
best thing for us to do is to be patient and await their arrival." 

In my quality of a new-comer, I excited all Madame Noel's compassion 
and solicitude, and she attended to nothing but me. "Are you known to 
Vidocq and his two bull-dogs, Levesque and Compare ?" she inquired. 

"Alas! yes," was my reply ; " they have caught me twice." 

" In that case, then, be on your guard : Vidocq is often disguised ; he 
af>8umes characters, costumes, and shapes, to get hold of unfortunates like 
yourself." 

We conversed together for two hours, when Madame Noel offered rae a 
foot-bath, which I accepted ; and when it was prepared, I took off ray shoes 
and stockings, on which she discovered my wounded feet, and said, with a 
most commiserating tone and manner, "How I pity you; what must you 
rtufferl Why did you not tell me of this at first? you deserve to be scolded 
tor it." And whilst thus reproaching me, she examined my feet; and then 
pricking the blisters, drew a piece of worsted through each, and anointed mj 



FRENCH SEOKET SEKVICK. 245 

feet with a salve, which she assured me would have the efifect of speedily 
curiiig them. 

The bath concluded, she brought me some clean linen ; and, as she thought 
of all that was needful, added a razor, recommending me to shave. "I shall 
then see," she added, "about buying you some workman's clothes, as that is 
tiie best disguise for men who wish to pass unnoticed ; and besides, good luck 
will turn up, and then you will get yourself some new ones." 

As soon as I was thoroughly cleansed Mother Noel conducted me to a 
sleeping-room, a small apartment, which served as die workshop for false 
keys, the entrance to which was concealed by several gowns hanging from a 
row of pegs. "Here," said she, "is a bed in which your friends have slept 
three or four times ; and you need not fear that the police will hunt you out ; 
you may sleep secure as a dormouse." 

"I am really in want of sleep," I replied, and begged l»er permission to 
take some repose, on which she left me to myself. Three hours afterward I 
awoke, and on getting up we renewed our conference. It was necessary to 
be armed at all points to deceive Madame Noel ; there was not a trick or cus- 
tom of the Bagnes with which she was not thoroughly informed ; she knew 
not only the names of all the robbers whom she had seen, but was acquainted 
with every particular of the life of a great many others ; and related with 
enthusiasm anecdotes of the most noted, particularly of her son, for whom 
Bhe had as much veneration as love. 

"The dear boy, you would be delighted to see him I" said I. 

" Yes, yes, overjoyed." 

" Well, it is a happiness you will soon enjoy ; for Noel has made arrange- 
ments for an escape, and is now only awaiting the propitious moment." 

Madame Noel was happy in the expectation of seeing her son, and shed 
tears of tenderness at the very thoughts of it. 

In the course of conversation, Mother Noel asked me if I had any affair 
(plan of robbery) in contemplation ; and after having offered to procure me 
one, in case I was not provided, she questioned me on my skill in fabricating 
keys. I told her I was as adroit as Fossard. 

"If that be the case," she rejoined, "I am easy, and you shall be soon 
furnislied ; for as you are so clever, I will go and buy at the ironmonger's a 
key which you can fit to my safety lock, so that you will have ingress and 
egress whenever you require it." 

I expressed my feelings of obligation for so great a proof of her kindness ; 
and as it was growing late, I went to bed reflecting on the mode of getting 
away from this lair without running the risk of being assassinated, if per- 
chance any of the villains whom I was seeking should arrive before I had 
taken the necessary precautions. 

I did not sleep, and arose as soon as I heard Madame Noel lighting her fire , 
site said I was an early riser, and that she would go and procure me what 1 
wanted. A moment afterward she brought me a key not cut into wards, and 
gave me files and a small vice, which I fixed on my bed ; and as soon aa my 
tools were in readiness, I began my work in presence of my hostess, who, see- 
ing that I was perfectly converaant with the business complimented me on 



246 CTNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE 

tny skill; and what she moat a^lmiretl was the expedition of my worK; for in 
f'iirt, in less than four honrs, I had perfected a most workmanlike key, which 
I tried and it fitted nost accurately. A few touches of the file comjjleted 
tlie instrument; and like the rest, I had the means of unobstructed entrance 
whenever I wished to visit the house. 

I u;is ^Iitdaine Noel's boarder; and, after dinner, I told her T was inoliripd 
((> take a turn in the dusk, that I might find whether "a job" I contcinpl.ited 
Riis V'-t feasible, and she aj)proved the suj^'gestion, at the same time remm- 
rnending me to use all caution. "That thief of a Vidocq," she observed, "h 
a thorn in one's path; mind him; and, if I were you, before I made anj 
attempts, I would wait until my feet were well." 

'* I shall not go far," I replied; "nor stay away long." This assurance of 
a speedy return seemed to quiet her fears. 

" Wellj then, go," she said ; and I went out limping. 

So far all sicceeded to my most sanguine wislies ; it was impossible to 
stand better with Mother Noel; but, by remaining in her house, who would 
guarantee that I should not be knocked on the head? ^[ight not two or three 
galley-slaves arrive together, recognize me, and attack me? Then farewell to 
all my [>l()ttings; and it was incumbent, that, without losing the friiit of ray 
fnendsliip with Mother Noel, I should prepare myself for the contingeiit 
danger. It would have been the height of imprudence to have given her 
cause to think that I had any motives for avoiding contact witli her guests, 
and I conseriuently endeavored so to lead her on, that she should herself sug- 
gest to me the necessity of quitting her house; that is, that she should advise 
me no longer to think of sleeping in her domicile. 

I had observed that Madame Noel was very intimate with a fruitseller who 
lived in the house; and I sent to this woman one of my agents named Man- 
ceau, whom I charged to ask her secretly, and yet with a want of skill, for 
some accounts of Madame Noel. I had dictated the questions, and was tie 
more certain that tlie fruit-woman would not fail to communicate the particu- 
lars, as I had desired my man to beg her to observe secrecy. 

The event proved that I was not deceived; no sooner had my agent fal- 
filled his mission, than the fruit-woman liastened to Madame Noel with an 
account of what had passed ; who, in her turn, lost no time in telling me. 
On tlie look-out at the steps of the door of lier ofticioua neighbor, as soon as 
she saw me, she came to me, and, without further preface, dosirwd me to fol- 
Idw her, wliicli I did; and on reaching the Place des Victoires, she stojiped, 
and h>okiiig about her to be assured that no one was in hearing, slie told me 
what had passed. "So," said she, in conclusion, "you see, my poor (lerniaiu, 
(hat it wouM not be prudent for you to sleep at my house; you must even be 
cautious how you approach it by day." 

Mother Noel had no idea that this circumstance, which she bewailed so 
greatly, was of my own planning; and, that I miglit remove all suspicion 
from her mind, I pretended to be more vexed at it than she was, and cursed 
and swore bitterly at that blackguard Vidocq, who would not leave us at 
peace. I depreca^dd the necessitj to which I was reduced, of finding a shelter 



FRENCH SECRET SERVICE. 247 

oot of Taris, and took leave of Madame Noel, who, wishing me good Inck and 
A sjieedy return, put a thirty-sous piece into my hand. 

I knew that Des])()is and Mongenet were expected ; and T was also aware 
that there were comers and goers who visited the house, wliether Madame 
Noel was there or not; and she was often ahsent, giving music-lessons in the 
city. It was important that I sliould know these gentry ; and to acliieve this, 
I disgnipcd several of my auxilim-ies, and stationed tliem at the corners of the 
street, where, mixing with the errand-hoys and messengers, their presence 
fxcited no suspicion. 

These precautions taken, that T might testify all dne appearance of fear, I 
allowed two days to pass before I again visited Madame Noel; and this 
period having elapsed, I went one evening to her house, accompanied by a 
yonng man, w liom I introduced as tlie brother of a female with whom I had 
once lived: and who, having met me accidentally in Paris, had given me an 
Rsyium. This young man was a secret agent, but I took care to tell Mother 
Noel that he had my fullest confidence, and tliat she might consider bim as 
my second self; and as he was not known to the spies, I had chosen him to 
be ray messenger to her whenever I did not judge it prudent to show myself 
" Henceforward," I added, "be will be our go-between, and will come everj 
♦.wo or three days, that I may have information of you and your friends." 

"T faith," said Mother Noel, "you have lost a pleasure; for twenty minutei 
sc >ner, and you would have seen a lady of your acijuaintance here." 

"All I who was it?" 

" Mongejiet's sister." 

"Oh I indeed; she has often seen me with her brother." 

" Yfcs; when I mentioned you, she described yon as exactly as possible: -r 
'a lanky chap,' said she, 'with his nose always grimed with snuff.'" 

Madame Noel deeply regretted that I had not arrived before Mongenet B 
Bister h^.d departed ; but certainly not so much as I rejoiced at my narrow- 
escape fiom an interview which would have destroyed all my projects; for if 
this woman knew Germain, she also knew Vidocq; and it was impossible that 
ehe could have mistaken one for the other, so great was the difference between 
nsl Altnougli I had altered ray features so as to deceive, yet the resemblance 
which, in description, seemed exact, would not staiul the test of a critical 
examination, and particularly the reminiscences of intimacy. Mother Noel 
then gave me a very useful warning, when sho informed me that Mongenet'* 
(lister was a very frequent visitor at her house. From thenceforward I resolved 
that this female should never catch a glimpse of my countenance; and to 
avoid meeting with her, whenever I visited Madame Noel, I sent my pretended 
brother-in-law first, who, when she was not thvre, had instructions to let me 
know it by slicking a wafer on the window. At this signal I entered, and 
my aid-de-camp betook himself to his post in the neighborhood, to guard 
against any disagreeable surprise. Not very far distant were other auxiliaries, 
to whom I had confided Mother Noel's key. that they might come to ray suc- 
cor in case of danger ; for, from one instant to anotlier, I might fall suddenly 
among a gang of fugitives, or some of the galley-slaves might recognize and 
ftttack me, and then a blow of my fist against a square of glass in the window 



248 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

was the signal which was to denote my need of assistance, to equalize th» oon 
tending parties. 

Thus were my schemes concerted, and the finale was at hand. It was on 
Tuesday, and a letter from the men I was in quest of, announced their intended 
arrival oc the Friday following; a day which I intended should be for them a 
black Friday. At the first dawn I betook myself to wine-vaults in the 
vicinity; and, that they miglit have no motive for watching ine, supposing, aa 
was their custom, that they should traverse the street several times up and 
down before they entered Madame Noel's domicile, I first sent ray pretended 
brother-in-law, who returned soon afterward, and told me that Mongenet's 
sister was not there, and that I might safely enter. 

"You are not deceiving me?" said I to my agent, whose tone appeared 
altered and embarrassed, and fixing on him one of those looks which pene- 
trated the very heart's core, I thought I observed one of those ill-suppressed 
contractions of the muscles of the face which accompany a premeditated lie ; 
and then, quick as lightning, the thought came over me that I was betrayed — 
that my agent was a traitor. "We were in a private room, and, without a 
moment's hesitation, I grasped his throat with violence, and told him, in 
presence of his comrades, that I was informed of his perfidy, and that if he 
did not instantly confess all, I would shoot him on the spot. Dismayed at my 
penetration and determined manner, he stammered out a few words of excuse, 
and, falling on his knees, confessed that he had discovered all to Mother 
Noel. 

This baseness, had I not thus detected it, would probably have -cost me my 
life, but I did not think of any personal resentment; it was only the interest 
of society which I cared for, and which I regretted to see wrecked when so 
near port. The traitor, Ma^.ceau, was put in confinement, and, yoimg as lie 
was, having many old offenses to expiate, was sent to Bicetre, and then to 
the Isle of Oleron, where he terminated his career. It may be conjectured 
that the fugitives did not return to the Rue Ticquetonne ; but they were, not- 
withstanding, apprehended a short time afterward. 

Mother Noel did not forgive the trick I had played her; and, to satisfy her 
revenge, she, one day, had all her goods taken away; and when this had beer. 
efifected, went out without closing her door, and returned, crying out that she 
had been robbed. Tlie neighbors were made witnesses, a declaration was 
made before a commissary, and Mother Noel pointed me out as the thief; 
because, she said, I had a key of her apartments. The accusation was a grave 
one, and slie was instantly sent to the prefecture of police, and the next day I 
received the information. My justification was not difficult, for the prefet, aa 
well as M. Henry, saw through the imposture; and we managed so well, that 
Mother Noel's property was discovered, proof was obtained of the falsity of 
the charge, and, to give her time for repentance, she was sentenced for six 
months to St. Lazarre. Such were the issue and the consequences of an 
enterprise, in which I had not failed to use all precaution ; and I have often 
achieved success in affairs, in which arrangements had been made, not eo 
rtillfully concerted or so ably executed. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE BOUNTY JUMPERS. 

Fraadalent Practices of Bounty Brokers and Jumpers — Contrast -«twoen English 
and American Deserters — Plans to check Desertion, and bring Criminals to 
Justice. 

The great demand for recruits during the war, the large 
bounties offered for them, and the manifold facDities for 
fraudulent transactions, presented temptations of great 
power, even to reputable citizens, to evade the plain letter 
of the law, and traffic in substitutes, or, by bribery and 
deception, personally to keep out of the hands of the recruit- 
ing officer. 

The majority of the officers assigned to recruiting service 
were guilty of great dereliction of duty, inasmuch as, instead 
of endeavoring to check the growing evil, they rather pre- 
tended ignorance, or allowed it to pass unnoticed. 

On one occasion, being in the presence of the President 
and a member of the Cabinet, I heard the latter congratulate 
the President upon the success attending a certain call for 
troops, which he had issued, remarking : — 

"Mr. Lincoln, if recruiting goes forward in this way, 
your new call for troops will soon be answered." 

The President made this reply : — 

"Oh, yes; we have a pretty big army already — on 
paper ; but what we want is, men in boots and breeches. 
This great array of figures, in respect to soldiers, is not 
going to suppress the rebellion. I want men^ who can 
carry muskets, and eat hard-tack,' 

It was indeed surprising to observe the apparent sin- 
cerity of persons, who, in various ways, were guilty of 
unlawful and dishonorable acts, finding a sufficient apology 
in the necessities or peculiarities of the case ; while others, 
and not a few, went into the remunerative dishonesty with 

249 



250 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

the simple pnrpose, in common with the professional gam- 
bler, to make money out of the Government, or individuala 
serving it, according to the promised reward. And yet it is 
difRcnlt to see how any man, of ordinary moral perceptions, 
could fail to appreciate the criminality of the business, 
whether viewed from the stand-point of the array depletion 
and peril, or the robbery of the public treasury. Were 
the loose principles governing bounty brokers and jumpers 
once allowed, the ranks of no army could be kept full, and 
the loyalty of the people could not be maintained. 

The lenity of our military authorities, in regard to the 
punishment of offenders against law and loyalty, was a 
fruitful cause of the boldness with which they acted, and 
the air of respectability worn by the crime itself. 

At this point, I must refer to the suggestive contrast 
between foreign armies and our own. Deserters from the 
English troops are rare, on account of the penalty which is 
inflicted on such offenders. This penalty, which is death, 
is never set aside, no matter what extenuating circumstances 
may attach to the desertion, rendering it a lesser crime in 
the opinion of mankind. The English military law is arbi- 
trary, carrying out its requirements to the utmost ; and, 
as the punishment for desertion is death, no soldier guilty 
of the crime receives any lighter doom. 

During the late war, the execution of deserters was so 
rare, that no moral effect was produced on the minds of the 
people. Who can recollect any shadow of guilt and pun- 
ishment falling upon his thought, during the whole of the 
war, on account of the deserter's fate ? 

The desertions were as common as recruiting, but esca])e3 
were so frequent, and pardon was so often granted, that no 
importance seemed to be attached to the shameful disloyalty. 
Indeed, it was rather considered in the light of a legitimate 
business than otherwise ; the idea of its criminality hardly 
seemed to be entertained by any, so lightly was it treated 
by the law. 

The Department at Washington was constantly urging 
upon me the necessity for forming some plan, which, in a 
euminary and successful manner, would frustrate the designs 
of these dishonest parties, and bring them to justice. Sf v 



DESERTERS AND DESERTION. 2.')1 

eral attempts liad been made for this purpose, bat bad all 
proved unsuccessful. 

A number of plans were submitted to me, each of wliich 
I considered objectionable, on certain accounts. The short- 
est way to catch these deserters, which was tracking them 
to tlieir haunts, it would have been folly to pursue, as such 
a course u'ould result in a general alarm and stampede of the 
guilty. 

After some time, I chanced to think of a method, which 
seemed so suited to the purpose, that I became immediately 
inspired with the hope of success. I reported it to ths 
Provost-Marshal Genei'al, and, after examination, it was 
accepted, with some slight modifications. 

In January, 1865, the War Department determined to 
check, if possible, the increasing frauds. On investigation, 
it was found that only one in four of the enlisted men 
reached the front — a fact which will doubtless astonish my 
reader, and probably be denied by him, unless accompanied 
by the most positive proof. 

I received my instructions, and immediately repaired to 
New York, the great rendezvous of gamblers in recruiting, 
and the centre of tlx^r com])licated and increasing business. 
Two or three days devoted to inquiries concerning them, so 
astounded, discouraged, and disheai'tened me, that I resolved 
to abandon the investigation, and return to Washington. 
When I reported my purpose to the War Department, 1 
was directed to resume and prosecute my work. This 
investigation, including my action and that of the Provost- 
Marshal-General, has been the occasion of Congressional 
and civil examinations, and therefore demands a pi'etty full 
and clear narrative. 

The means which I employed, and the manner of prj 
ceeding, may seem, to superficial observers, to have beer 
extraordinary, and wholly unwarranted. 

All the usual methods of procedure in detective service 
were quite unavailing in this large undertaking. Nearly tht 
entire circle of military and civil officers were found to be, 
either directly or indirectly, implicated in bounty swindlinjz 
— from the staff officer to the orderly, and from the judge 
to the lowest criminal in the haunts of dissipation and vice. 



2.")2 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICK 

1 considered the matter well, in order to reach some 
fplan by which I could become familiar with the fraudulent 
ejitei prise and learn its secrets. The result of my medita- 
tions was the belief that, in order to gain my ends, I must 
•select for my service some bounty broker who had been 
connected with the business a considerable length of time, 
sand who was, consequently, familiar with all its details. 



CHAPTER XX. 

THE BOUNTY JUMPERS AKD BROKEBa 

Quctas tilled with Falsified Enlistment-Papers — Arrest of Brokers — Amusing and 
ICxciting Scene — The Hoboken Raid — Slanderous Charges — Large Number of 
Arrests — Incarceration in Fort Lafayette^Other Arrests — Trial before a Mili- 
tary Commission. 

It is, douMless, a matter of surprise tliat forged enllsting- 
papers could have been so readily manufactured and profit- 
ably used. One of tbe leading brokers arrested was a notary 
public. Aided by the clerks at the recruiting-office, the 
necessary blanks were obtained. These were written out 
with fictitious names, properly certified by the notary pub- 
lic. Each set of the papers represented an enlisted man, and 
was ready for sale in the market, to any unsuspecting agent 
from the country having a quota to fill. There were whole 
towns in the interior of the Empire State filled with these 
fraudulent credits. In many instances the same false enlist- 
ments were credited in different Congressional districts. The 
matter will be more fully comprehended by a reference to 
my official report. 

I took up my headquarters at the Astor House, and let 
the brokers know that I was an agent or supervisor for the 
interior of the State, having several large quotas to fill. I 
was at once besieged by applications to purchase credits. 
The third day I purchased sixteen sets of these enlistment 
papers ; and on the fourth, twenty-two, when a proposition 
was made by a broker to purchase forged papers, saying, 
those I had were such, and would answer the same purpose ; 
that so skillfully were they prepared detection was impos- 
ible. The offer was accepted, and placed me on the most 
friendly terms with my associates in business. For a num- 
ber of days I continued the purchase of spurious papers for 
less than half the price of the genuine documents. This 

253 



254 CTNITED STATES SECRET SERVICK 

Feature of the swindling carae near causing a quarrel aii;ong 
the brokers ; some of them insisting that I should not liave 
been informed that I bought forged papers, because I might 
tlit-n have paid fall price. The other party contended, that 
bj committing me to the forgery I was secured against 
l)etrayal of the cause. The former further claimed, that 
forged papers were worth as much to me as the genuine. 
These negotiations were carried on four days, when I deci- 
ded to arrest the whole company. It will be understood, 
that the arrest of a single broker in the city would create an 
alarm, and end the investigation. The greatest strategy and 
concealment were tlierefore indispensable to success. T!ie 
knowledge of my presence in the metropolis would have 
defeated my plans. On a certain day I requested nine bro- 
kers, with whom I had business, to come to my room at the 
same hour, bi'ingiug their papers. I had concealed, in an 
adjoining room, a number of my assistants. I instructed 
them that the signal I should use to bring them to my aid, 
would be a knock on the door of the apartnit^it in which 
they were placed. 

The illustrious nine stood around me, forged papers in 
hand, eagerly waiting for the checks which would bring the 
reward of their villainy. To fasten the guilt upon (he crimi- 
nals, beyond dispute, I had written receipts for the money 
to be paid each broker. As they walked up in line, and 
made their marks, for most of them could not write, I 
stepped to the folding-doors and gave the signal. Instantly 
a detective came in, and I said to my broker-friends : "■ Gen- 
tlemen, this joke has gone far enough ; you ai-e my pi'isoners. 
I am General Baker, the Chief of the Detective Bureau." 

t Wwuld be futile for tongue or pen to attem])t to describe 
the ciicct of my words upon the assemblage before me. The 
change that passed over it was very marked, and to me, wlio 
was the cause of it, irresistibly entertaining. The explosion 
of a bomb-shell in the battle-ianks could not have stailled 
and dismayed the soldiery more suddenly than this unex- 
pected exposure of their crimes, and the ]iowerful grasp 
of justice, did the discomfited brokers, who had antici])ated 
ft very difierent fate. 

Here, a dapper little fellow, in tiashy dress and jewelry. 



A FIGHTER— CONFESSIONS— SLANDERS. 257 

changed color, looked ghastly, and reeled to the sofa. 
There, a burly, red-faced Mghter put on a defiant air, and, 
with an oath, said: "I would like to see you arrest me." 
A display of my six-shooter cooled him off wonderfully, and 
he stood like a living firebrand, ready to go into a self-con- 
suming flame. Another burst into tears, and pleaded that 
lie was seduced into the crime by artful men. A few more 
resolved to make a joke of the whole matter, and laugh off 
the scare. I transferred the interesting company to an 
apartment in the Astor House, their prison for the time. 
Two or three of them made written confessions, which re- 
vealed in detail the criminality of their companions, and of 
many others. 

The notorious Hoboken raid upon bounty brokers and 
bounty jumpers, which has been the subject of a great deal 
of newspaper comment and censure, was never clearly 
understood. It cannot be denied that the affair was original 
and peculiar in its character, but it was called for by the 
unusual and manifold expedients resorted to by the dishon- 
est harpies preying upon the Government. 

The late civil war possessed so many extraordinary fea- 
tures, that means were employed to meet them which, 
although unknown before, were justified by the emergen- 
cies ; and on becoming possessed of the facts, as they really 
were, of the Hoboken transaction, every reasonable person, 
I am confident, will vindicate the action of the bureau, and 
especially my own position in the service. 

The emissaries of the South, and loyal persons prejudiced 
against me personally, charged me with a financial connec- 
tion and interest, and consequently repi-esented me as a 
sharer in substantial pecuniary profits. These slanderous 
intimations, however, are wholly without foundation. The 
careful Congressional investigation, and several civil suits 
that were instituted, failed to bring a particle of reliable 
evidence to sustain them. 

Men can believe what they please, still there is a wide 
difference between mere opinion and conviction following 
upon positive testimony. Upon receiving the latter, no 
person has an honest right to condemn my motives and 
conduct. 

IT 



258 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Tlie official correspondence, and orders connected wilL 
the opening of a recruiting rendezvous at Hoboken, are given 
in my report to the Provost-Marshal General. 

With the assistance of the bounty brokers referred to 
therein, I enlisted as many bounty jumpers as possible, with 
the understanding that no others were to be taken, March 
10th, it was given out among the brokers that a "walk 
away" had been opened in Hoboken. This novel place was 
understood to be for the escape of enlisted men wlio could 
safely walk away. 

Perhaps a more ludicrous trap in detective policy waa 
never laid than that which now secured the swindlers. 
Appreciating the desperate character of the men I was 
preparing to deal with, I had a body of soldiers sta- 
tioned in the hall, over the recruiting headquarters. To 
avoid all disclosure of the plot, it was arranged that no 
bounty jumper should leave or communicate with those out- 
side. Every man enlisted was taken to the hall above ; and 
here it is proper to state that each company of jumpers had 
its agent. 

If none of those enlisted were known to have escaped, it 
would naturally awaken suspicion in the minds of their out- 
side friends that something was wrong; that the "walk- 
away" was not genuine. Any uncertainty on this point 
would prove fatal to the scheme of detection. 

Recruiting commenced at an early hour in the morning, 
and continued briskly until two or three o'clock, in the after- 
noon, when the discovery was made, that not a single jumper 
who had entered the hall an enlisted soldier had been seen 
afterward. I had anticipated this difficulty, and, anxious to 
keep the plot secret as long as possible, to increase the num- 
ber of jumpers, I directed those assisting me to put a mark 
upon the back of each of the brokers engaged in furnishing 
recruits. This was done in such a manner as to be unno- 
ticed by the brokers themselves, but perfectly understood 
by me. I then directed my men to station themselves at the 
ferry, in New York, and arrest the brokers, which could be 
done with no difficulty, as the white signs of guilt marked 
apon their shoulders would instantly betray them. 

As I had anticipatea, me brokers became uneasy respect- 



THE HOBOKEN BROKERS. 209 

Ing the fate of those already enlisted, and, one after 
another, left the rendezvous, and took the boat for the 
metropolis. 

AVhen tliey reached the gate of tlie ferrj^ tlie chalk- 
marks revealed the criminals, and their arrest iinniediatelj 
follov/ed, until eighteen of the brokers and one hundred 
and eighty of the Jumpers were caught. 

It would be difficult to imagine the scene in the Odd 
Fellows' Hall of Hoboken, on the afternoon of that day of 
arrest. P^'ormed in a ring were many hundred soldiers, 
armed for any emergency ; within it, seated on bench(>s, 
were nearly two hundred prisoners. AVith the dawning 
of the truth upon the minds of the wondering crov/d of 
arrested men, a sudden and amusing change went over the 
faces of all. They had been especially careful to avoid me, 
and now, awakened from a dream of security to find them- 
selves in my toils ! Some looked blank with amazement 
and despair ; others had an expression of demoniac hate ; 
while a portion of the arrested seemed strongly inclined to 
treat their imprisonment jocosely, and regard it as a trivial 
affair. They were caught in the net set by hands most 
dreaded and carefully avoided. 

1 could scarcely conceal an expression of mischievous 
merriment, which, notwithstanding my efforts to the con- 
trary, was apparent at the singular scene presented by the 
mixed assembly. 

The soldiers looked qnii'tly on, while the dandy apparel 
and gaudy jewelry of the ^\viIldling fraternity presented a 
mocking and cruel contrast to their anxious and crestfallen 
countenances. 

The facts were communicated to the Provost-Marshal 
General, with the request to be informed what to do with 
them. After a delay of nearly a day and a half, the Secre- 
tary of War ordered them to be removed to Fort Lafayette. 
Their incarceration for weeks, with no disposal of their case, 
was a topic of severe animadversion, and the responsibility 
laid at my door ; a responsibility no more my own than any 
other act of the War Department through my official relation 
to it. 

T repeatedly called the attention of the Department to 



260 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

these prisoners, urging that they should be tried as deserters, 
and punished accordingly. 

The only reason which can be given for the delay, and 
which, to many patriotic persons, will be a sufficient one, 
was the excitement and rejoicing attending the fall of Rich- 
mond and the surrender of General Lee, which occurred at 
this particular time, absorbing the attention of all parties. 

Although overlooked for a while, they ^rere by no means 
dtisignedly neglected. 

The final disposal of the brokers arrested, and those 
engaged in frauds upon the Government, was equally an 
afiair entirely outside of my official authority. 

My arrests, independent of the brokers and jumpers at 
Iloboken, were about forty-six persons, in every case of 
which a written order was received from the President of 
the United States, and, by his direction, they were committed 
to the Old Capitol prison. 

I was requested to furnish, and did so, a written synopsis, 
or memorandum, in respect to each individual arrested. 
These statements were submitted to the Hon, L. E. C, and 
Judge 13., of New York, two of the most eminent jurists in 
the country. 

A military commission was convened at Washington, 
by order of the Secretary of War, for the trial of these 
prisoners. The ones first nr nested were first tried. The 
great array of counsel for tJic ek^fendants, and the number 
of witnesses produced by both parties, made the investiga- 
tions extended and wearisome. But, notwithstanding the 
precautions taken by the prisoners, and the large number of 
counsel which they employed, they were all convicted, as 
will be seen by reference to the records of the Bureau of 
Military Justice. The Department exacted from me the 
most persistent activity in the prosecution of these cases. 

Not governed by motives of revenge, or personal feeling, 
it was the simple aim to render justice to the guilty, and 
carry out the wishes of the Government. 

In the midst of the trials, and immediately succeeding 
the conviction of about a dozen of the prisoners, the rebel- 
lion suddenly collapsed. Great changes in popular senti- 
ment, and policy of the Government, awakened the desire, 



THE rROOLAMATION OF AMNESTY. 261 

which soon found expression, for the restoration of civil 
courts. Fully sympathizing with this natural longing, I 
sent a written request to the Secretary of War, that all 
prisoners in my custody might be transferred to the proper 
authorities. 

If they were regarded as legitimate recruits, the order 
discontinuing further enlistments, and discharge of all en- 
listed men held in "barracks and rendezvous, would apply 
to these bounty jumpers. They could not be tried for 
desertion, because the President's proclamation of amnesty, 
which applied to deserters, would reach their case also. In 
any view that may be taken of the incarceration of the pris- 
oners, complaints against me for the fact fall to tte ground ; 
I was not, and could not be, responsible for it, ander the 
circumstances, which need ojily to be known tc make the 
assertion of innocence cleur. 



CHAPTER XXL 

BOUNTY JUMPING INCIDENTS. 

•^lersonal Bxpenonce in Bounty Jumping — A Perfect Trnmp — Detectives En^sted- 
PasseB obtained for Bounty Jumpers — Arrest and Surprise — Couruliartial \u 
Conviction. 

Ir has been sufficiently demonstrated, "by incidents re- 
corded, that monstrous frauds were perpetrated by the 
^manufacture and sale of enlistment papers. 

Indeed, it is very evident, from knowledge thus far 
•obtained, that not a small proportion of all such documents, 
•on which credits were given, were forged. 

1 shall only add to the record a few incidents, which 
•combine in their character botli the comic and tragic quali- 
'ties. 

I had been told that soldiers would receive the bounty, 
re-enlist the same day, be sent to the Island, and repeat the 
process the day following. I was, at the time, skeptical 
respecting such facility in deception and incredible assu- 
rance, and to satisfy myself in regard to the truth of the 
matter, I dressed myself in the garb of a regular jumper and 
repaired, February 9th, to a recruiting office in the public 
square near the Astor House, New York. Assuming tlie 
air of a veteran in the business, I asked the officer wliat lie 
was paying for recruits. 

Before the question could be answered, the gentlemanly 
broker, always at hand, inquired of me my name and place 
of residence, which I gave him. In a low tone of voice, and 
with a knowing wink, he said: "Have you been through 
before in New York ?" I answered : "Not since last fall." 
He added: "AU right; come inside." And in less time 
than it has taken to relate the incident, I was one of " Uncle 
Sam's bojs." 

262 



A DRIITK, AND WHAT FOLLOWED. 203 

My friend gave me one hnndred dollars, promising the 
rpmainder dne me when I should arrive at the Island ; then 
directing me to remain where I was for a while, he left me. 

Returning within an hour, he opened the following con- 
versation with me : "Have you ever been on the Island ?" 
I replied, "Yes." Evidently f^nlightened in regard to the 
matter, he immediately remarked : " You know how to get 
off, then ? When you do^ come up to Tammany Hall, and I 
will put you through up town:" meaning, of course, he 
would enlist me again. While this conversation was pass- 
ing between us another broker stepped up, and said : " Gen- 
tlemen, let us take a drink," We accepted the invitation, 
and they conducted me across the Park to a saloon, where I 
saw, at a glance, they were quite at home. I^iquor waa 
called for, and while the vender w^as getting it, one of the 
brokers quietly stepped behind the bar and addressed some 
conversation to him. 

AVe then all drank to the success of the Union, or rather, 
all of us appeared to do so. 

I raised the glass to my lips, and, unobserved by the rest, 
poured its contents into my bosom, as I had done many times 
before when compelled to join the convivial ring. I was 
convinced that my potation had been drugged. Next fol- 
.lowed a proposition to repair to an adjoining room and 
engage in a game of cards. 

We played until I thought it necessary to affect drowsi- 
ness and insensibility. My eyes began to close, until at 
length my head rested on the table in front of me, and my 
whole appearance indicated to my betrayers my entire help- 
lessness in their hands. 

At this juncture one of them left the room, but soon 
returning, exclaimed, "All right." Immediately I caught 
the sound of carriage wheels, and, as I anticipated, was car- 
ried to the door, and, supported by broker number one, 
lifted into a vehicle, and driven rapidly to the Cedar Street 
rendezvous. My hat was then unceremoniously pushed 
over my face, and I was hurried into the presence of the 
recruiting officer in attendance, who asked me, "Do you 
wish to enlist ?" Number two answered, in a tone to repre- 
sent my own voice, " Ye-e-s." 



264 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

1 was again declared to be one of the volunteers, taken 
into another room, and laid on a bench, where I remained 
an hour, in company with three other recruits, who had been 
drugged in the same manner, my friends the brokers sup- 
posing they had disposed of me. 

In the mean time broker number one returned, and said : 
** Well, old fellow, how do you feel 1" to which I replied, 
"Very sick." Then remarking, *' You'll be all right by- 
and-by," he left me. 

I looked about me to judge of the possibility of escape. 
I saw at once that I could not pass out by the door, as a sen- 
try was stationed there, and came to the conclusion that I 
would have to try my chances at a window. 

I opened one which overlooked a back yard, sprang out, 
and after walking through a long passage-w^ay, which led 
me into the open street, I went deliberately to my room in 
the Astor House, 

Here I masked my face, disguised myself anew, and pro 
ceeded directly to the office of Mr. Blunt, where I offered 
m}'self to the arniy service, to make my third enlistment for 
that day. 

I was hardly seated, when broker number three ap- 
proached me, saying : 

" You want to enlist, do you ?" 

" Yes, I am thinking of it. What are you paying re 
cruits now ?" 

"Six hundred dollars. Where are you from T' 

"Steuben County. I would like to enlist if I could get 
a situation as clerk. I can write a pretty good hand, and 
%m hardly able to go into the ranks." 

He replied quickly, "Oh, I can fix all that right." 

A conversation then followed between him and the re 
cruiting officer, when I was made a soldier of the Union 
army once more. I was requested to be seated for a few 
moments. Soon after the broker asked me to take "a 
glass." I went with him to an old drinking-saloon in 
Cherry Street, where I found brokers numbers one and two, 
who immediately recognized me, but expressed no surprise 
at the meeting. My sDccessful escape from the Cedar Street 



BOUNTY JTJMPERS' EXPLOITS. 265 

headquarters convinced ray friends that I was an old expert 
in the tricks of the trade, 

Tlieir admiration for me became so great that they re- 
ceived me into full fellowship, regarded me as a shrewd 
member of the bounty jumping brotherhood, and, after 
freely discussing their phms and prospects, declared me to 
be a "perfect trump." Propositions were made to enter 
into partnership at once. 

1 was greatly amused while listening to the exploits of 
each, as he in turn detailed them. One related, that at a 
certain period he left New York, and having enlisted at 
Albany, Troy, Utica, Buffalo, and Chicago, returned ma 
Elmira, at which place he likewise enlisted. Another had 
enlisted at every rendezvous from New York to Portland, 
Maine ; while a third boasted of the amounts he had re- 
ceived, and mentioned those paid to recruiting officers, sur- 
geons, brokers, and detectives. The den in which I spent 
the evening was a favorite haunt of the bounty jumpers. It 
contained a wardrobe of wearing apparel, consisting of both 
soldiers' and citizens' outlits. The idea of this I easily com- 
prehended ; here the jumpers could assume whatever dress 
they pleased, to carry out their designs. Three times that 
night, before two o'clock, 1 saw the interesting operation 
performed. 

I selected one of my assistants to experiment in this mili- 
tary lotteiy. He dressed himself in the appropriate apparel, 
and in one day enlisted three times ; he was sent to the 
Island, bought himself off, and reported for duty the follow 
ing day. 

The scenes described were followed by numberless ar 
rests of bounty brokers, bouuty jumpers, and others in the 
business, and consequently by the disclosures of their crim»^^ 
which have since attracted much public attention. 

To illustrate the secrecy with which I necessarily pur- 
sued my inquiries, I mention tlie following incident : I had 
received intelligence of a notorious bounty broker, doing 
business on State Street, whose specialty seemed to be to 
secure, for a consideration, desertion and escape after enlist- 
ment. Rumor also said that, at any time, he had the power 
to obtain an enlisted maji from Governor' s Island. Extremely 



266 IGNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

desirous to test liis proficiency in sncli sTrindling, T enlist 
pd two of my own detectives, and bad them sent to the 
Island. I then directed another to apply to the broker for 
his interposition in their behalf. He consented, on the con- 
dition that he should receive two hundred dollars for his 
trouble. The amount was paid him ; and my assistant, be- 
ing curious to know in what manner he would obtain the 
release of the two detectives, begged leave to accompany 
him to the Island. 

Upon their landing, he observed that the broker was on 
excellent terms with the officers of difierent grades who had 
the recruits in charge. 

Two sergeants, being consulted, furnished a pass to the 
desired recruits, signed in the name of the provost-general 
of the Island, requiring their return at roll-call the same 
evening. For this pass the sergeant received fifty dollars. 
Sergeant number two, at the end of the wharf, whose duty 
it was to examine the passes, being in collusion with the 
other, shared the profits. The detective, and his associates 
who had been recruited, had no difficulty in leaving the 
Island. 

I made arrangements for the arrest of the whole party on 
their landing in New York. When brought to my head- 
quarters, the broker confessed the crime, seeing no possible 
means of escape, and embarrassed with surprise and terror. 

His arrest was kept secret for several days. The ser- 
geants, his companions in guilt, missing him, became un- 
easy, and suspicious that he had been murdered, and his 
body thrown into the river. The following Sunday they 
applied at the office of the City Police for assistance in dis- 
covering the missing man, having been informed before- 
hand, by the boy in the broker's office, that he had not 
been seen since he left with the stranger to go to the Island. 

The Metropolitan detectives declined to give any assist- 
ance, and sent them to me, as the person most likely to be of 
use to them in solving the mj^sterious fate of their friend 

Accordingly, on Sunday evening, the sergeants came to 
my office and excitedly told their story, dwelling on the fact 
tliat the broker was last seen on Wednesday, upon the 
Island, in company with a suspicious-1 : king stranger; tluJt 



A DISAGREEABLE SURPRISE- 267 

he liad a large amount of money ; and they gave five Imn'^.red 
dollars for information respecting bim. 

After a lengthy conversation, I told them ^ tiiuuglit 1 
could find tlieir friend. I ordered an officer to bring in tht 
broker. There was, of coarse, a mutual recognition, and the 
sergeants were overjoyed that the lost man was found and 
alive, until they learned that not only the broker was undei 
arrest, but that they also were in the hands of the law. 

The scene was a rich and rare one. The glad surprise of 
the sergeants was soor toned down by the mysterious grav- 
ity of their friend- and also my own. I then took out a pair 
of handcuffs, and said to the young men, " I am very glad 
you have saved me the trouble of sending for you, as I 
intended to do to-morrow." 

The broker was sent to the penitentiary, and the ser- 
geants were tried by court-martial and convicted. 

These statements will probably appear exaggera-'^ed to 
many readers, but they are strictly true, and will be found 
OD official records. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

BOUNTY JUMPERS IN ORGANIZED BANDS. 

8i\^-liko Bounty Jumpers — Wholesale Bounty Junipin;^ carried on adroitly by s 
Gang of Operators — Opposition from a Canadian Gang — Thirty-two Thousand 
Dollars in as many Days — Frauds in Drafting — An Old Man put in as a Sub- 
stitute — A Boy decoyed — His Adventures — A Mother of Thirteen Children — 
Unavailing Efforts of a Mother in Search of her Idiotic Son. 

1 SHALL next relate the movements of these speculators 
in organized gangs. They had a leader, whom they selected 
chiefly for his insinuating and plausible manner of address, 
and with whom they acted in the capacity of Gipsies, wan- 
dering from one promising field of action to another. 

On March 17, 1865, I ordered a detective to join one 
of these strolling companies, and, by closely watching 
every movement made by them, ascertain the modus ope- 
randi of enlistment under this social form of enterprise. 

The company left the Hudson River Depot in the half- 
past eleven o'clock train, and presented a most desperate 
and villainous appearance. Indeed, a more unmanageable 
set of desperadoes scarcely ever was seen on the highway 
of adventure. 

The next morning, before noon, they arrived in Pough- 
keepsie, where eleven of the thirty-six were enlisted, four 
of whom escaped the same afternoon, two during the night, 
and the remainder the follo^ving morning. 

The next day, the whole of the gang appeared at the 
recruiting-office in Albany, seventeen re-enlisting there, five 
of whom had enlisted in Troy. Nine of these escaped that 
evening, and returned to Troy ; two pleaded illness, became 
in consequence inmates of the hospital, effecting their escape 
during the night, and proceeding immediately to Utica, to 
meet those who had gone elsewhere. Four others of the 

268 



THE PROFITS OF BOUNTY JUMPING. 269 

company enlisted in Troy, but made their escape the same 
night. 

The whole party then remained five days in Utica, at 
which place iwenty-one enlisted, four of them twice, and 
one, three times. At Buffalo, owing to the competition in 
the business by parties in Canada, none of the parties 
enlisted. At Chicago, eight of the band enlisted, four were 
recognized as old bounty jumpers and arrested, one other 
was arrested for picking pockets, while the remainder, 
frigbtened at the turn events had taken, hurried from the 
city. In Detroit the Canadian gang had the field, and 
would not permit any interference with their operations. 

The company next appeared in Rochester, but too many 
being known there as deserters to make their business prom- 
ising, they proceeded to Elmira, where six were arrested for 
desertion, the remainder returning to New York. 

These men were absent thirty-two days, and their total 
profits amounted to thirty-two thousand dollars. The ques- 
non will be naturally asked, how this handsome profit was 
made. The bounty broker who was the leader, must first 
ascertain just how far, and by what means, he can insure 
the escape of the jumper after enlistment. A hundred dol- 
lars paid to the sergeant or corporal in charge at the rendez- 
vous, would secure the liberation of ten men, while the 
records would show a certain number enlisted on a given 
day, properly credited to some locality ; and the books of 
the State rendezvous would have the record of but two or 
three from the same place. 

This broker was entitled to receive for every recruit from 
four to six hundred dollars, and the whole sum, after the 
expedition closed, was divided among the men. It must be 
borne in mind that many gangs, the number of which is not 
known, were moving about in the northern States at the 
same moment. 

On this subject, thus far, I have only narrated frauds 
committed by the roving military bandits in disguise. There 
was another way of dishonest speculation, no less remunera- 
tive and criminal. The draft requiring men to enter the 
service, or furnish substitutes, afibrded an excellent oppor 
tunity ta "buy, seU, and get gain." I knew many instances 



270 UNTTED STATES SECKET SERVICE. 

where lads fourteen years of age were enticed into drinking 
saloons, drugged, and made to perjure themselves, to become 
tlie substitutes of some patriotic citizens, the substitutes each 
receiving, perhaps, one hundred dollars, which was almost 
invariably stolen from them before reaching the general 
rendezvous. 

A sujjerannuated Frenchman, seventy-two years old, un- 
able to sppak English, was taken in an alley at New York, 
while getting a scanty but honest livelihood, by gathering 
rags, llis hair and whiskers, which were white as snow, 
were colored by a barber, then he was transferred to the 
Second Congressional District, Williamsburgh, and enlisted 
as a substitute for a well-known shipbuilder there. Hearing 
of the outrage, I sent for the aged man, and, through an 
interpreter, ascertained the name of the broker. The latter 
was obliged to disgorge six hundred dollars, which was paid 
to the victim of the dismayed trader in his fellow-men. 
The aged stranger thanked me tremulously, and, with eyes 
suffused with tears, departed from my office, having in his 
possession a purse which his rag-bag would not have yielded 
in a long space of time. 

The law required that all minors desiring to enlist, should 
first obtain the consent of their parents. A respectable Ger- 
man, residing in Beaver Street, suddenly missed his son, 
about fourteen years of age. Tie searched for him diligently 
during three weeks, but all allcmpts to discover him proving 
fruitless, the anxious father applied to me for counsel and 
assistance. I made him give me a written description of the 
boy, promising him that, to discover his whereabouts, I 
would leave no means in my power untried. I then called 
a detective and placed in his hand the paper, with directions 
to use it in tracing the boy. He soon returned, with the 
information that the lad had enlisted at the Brooklyn rendez- 
vous, in cliarge of Colonel Fowler. 

I sent for the jiapers, from which I learned that a woman, 
claiming to be the mother of the boy, had accompanied him 
to the office and made the required affidavit. Then sending 
to the front I procured the lad's return, who furnished me 
wi^h the following particulars. One evening, while passing 
^rom his father's store to his house, an elderly man, gentle- 



ETDNAPPmQ BOYS. 271 

iminly in appearance, accosted him, inquiring if he did not 
want a situation. He replied: "No, sir." His venerable 
friend then left him, and a boy of his own age came up and 
said, "Come in here and get a glass of lemonade," pointing 
to a Chatham Street saloon. They went in, and soon after 
calling for the drink the elderly man entered. He recol- 
lected nothing more until the next morning, when he found 
himself in a drinking saloon in Brooklyn. His hat and boots 
were gone, and while searching for them an old man entered, 
whom he recognized as the one he had seen the evening 
before. He was accompanied by a woman, who exclaimed : 
" You are a fine-looking boy ; would you like to enlist for a 
bugler?" at the same time taking from under her cloak a 
email silver bugle, and adding, " Now, my son, if you will 
enlist you shall have this bugle," 

He refused, and immediately was hurried into a carriage, 
and, in company with this admirable couple, was driven to 
Colonel Fowler's headquarters. 

His papers were here made out, the wretched woman 
swearing that she was his mother, and giving her full con- 
sent to his enlistment. The poor lad's mother had been 
dead ten years. He was paid twenty-five dollars, while the 
couple who enlisted him received six hundred and seventy- 
five dollars. 

The boy's description of the two worthies soon led to 
their arrest, and it turned out that the man was a notorious 
Jew bounty broker, while the woman was equally well 
known as a prostitute of the city. 

Investigating more deeply, 1 came to the startling revela- 
tion that this vile woman had sworn to be the mother of thir- 
teen other little boys about the same age as this German lad. 

I shall select only one additional, very peculiar, and 
highly interesting narrative, from the mass of fragmentary 
materials in my possession ; that of the kidnapping of the 
idiot boy Cornelius Garvin, of Troy, New York. Some of 
the facts found their way into the newspapers at the time of 
their occurrence. 

Mrs. Garvin, the mother of the boy, was a poor, but hon- 
est and respectable Irishwoman, who supported her family 
by hard daily labor. She had placed her imbecile son in 



272 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

the almshouse at Troy, happy in the consciousness ol nis 
safety, and being near enough to visit him occasionally. 
The child, while playing in the grounds, was cari-ied off by 
bounty brokers, and transported to Albany, where he was 
enlisted and sent to the front. 

The mother, upon receiving the news, became nearly 
frantic ; and, leaving her work, managed to get to Washing 
ton, where, through the interest which her story awakeu«*d, 
she gained an interview with the President. 

That good man, whose ear was ever open to the appeals 
of humanity and justice, gave her a note to the Secretary 
of War, who referred the case to me. I detailed a detective 
to accompany her to the battle-field. Nearly a month was 
dpent in the fruitless search for the lost boy, notwithstanding 
it was proved that " poor Con" was somewhere in the army. 
The disa];)pointed but not discouraged mother went back to 
her toil again, to get money to bring her once more to the 
Capital. 

Seven months passed over in the search, with no clue 
to the boy. Officers lent their assistance., and no means 
were left untried to find the wanderer. The persistency of 
purpose, the undj'ing hope and affection of the sorrowing 
mother for her simple "Con," were hardly ever surpassed 
in human experience. 

Unable to read or write, she carried always in her apron 
a large number of letters, and other memoranda, from promi- 
nent officers and others, given to aid her unrewarded search. 
Yet she could, as if by intuition, or the inspiration of her 
love, place her hand upon any of the documents she desired 
to use, and repeat their contents. And whenever she found 
an interested listener to her mournful story, she would select 
the particular document she wanted and give its statements. 

After exhausting the subject, she would sit in a musing 
mood, gazing into vacancy for several moments, and then 
start from her revery, gather up her treasure of manuscripts, 
and exclaiming ; "My poor Con ; I must go and find him 1" 
she would start again on her journey among the regiments 
of the Union army. 

When the money which was given her, and earned by 
the severest toil, was gone, she would get back to Troy, 



273 

replenish her parse hy her daily labor, and return to the 
hant for "Con," along a new path of adventure, on which 
had suddenly fallen a ray of hope from some quarter re- 
specting the absent boy. 

Thus month after month passed away, and the undying 
love of this mother for the imbecile child, over whose un- 
steady steps and aimless wanderings she had watched with 
a fondness intensified by his very helplessness, led her 
along the army lines, and into the camps, at the heart of 
the great and bloody war. 

" Poor Con !" was on her lips when she sought brief and 
restless sleep, and at the dawn of day, when she resumed 
the travel, which would have no pause until darkness made 
it impossible. 

While she was roaming at will, followed by the sympa- 
thizing interest of the President, and the humblest official in 
the army, I received the following letter : — 

BCBEAU OF MlUTAKT JuSTICK, WaB DbPAETME»T, JuTlt 1, 1865, 

Colonel : — 

The case of Cornelins Garvin, an idiot boy, enlisted into the Fifty-second 
Regiment of New York Volunteers, has been referred to this bureau for 
report. 

Among the papers in the case, is a letter of yours to the Mayor of the 
city of Troy, New York, in which you state that Captain Degner — in whos^ 
company the boy is supposed to have been — refused, or neglected, to search 
for him, when ordered to do so, although repeatedly assured that he was in 
his company, under an assumed name ; but, instead of doing so, endeavored 
to intimidate, by threats, privates of his company who were disposed to aid 
In the search for the boy. 

Be pleased to furnish this bureau with any proof that may be in your 
possession of the statements referred to, or which may otherwise throw light 
on the case. 

It is desirable that any material information you have in the case should 
be communicated at your earliest convenience. 

Your obedient servant, 

W. W. WlNTRROP, 

Major, and Judge-Advocate, for Judge- Advocate QeneroL 
To Col. L C. Bakkb, Special Agent War Department. 

Mr. Trott, from this bureau, has twice called at your office on this subject. 

But all efforts to find Cornelius Garvin were in vain. 
Several times the mother seemed to be near him ; but tlie 



274 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

joy at the prospect of meeting him soon faded before crnel 
disappointment. 

It was rumored tliat he died in the army ; whicli was 
doubtless true, for no further tidings to this hour, I be- 
lieve, have been received of his fate. I append a report 
of my investigations in the case, addressed to the Mayor of 
Troy. 

Wabhijioton, D. 0, June 8, 1860. 

Mayor Thorxe, Troy, New York : — 

Sir — Nearly two years since Mrs. Catherine Garvia, the mother of the 
Idiot boy Cornelius Garvin, alleged to have been stolen from the Connty- 
ITouse at Troy, applied to my headquarters in this city for assistance to find 
Baid boy. With the meagre facts at my disposal, I immediately instituted a 
search, which has resulted in disclosing the following facts: — 

Ist. That the idiot boy, 0. Garvin, was stolen, or surreptitiously taken from 
the County Poorhouse at Troy; that he was enlisted, sent to Riker's Island, 
assigned to the Fifty-second New York Volunteers, and forwarded, with 
other recruits, to Alexandria, Virginia; that said Garvin was seen and recog- 
nized by a number of privates of Company I, at Mitchell's Station, Virginia, 
afterward at Mine Run, and other places; it is furtlier shown that Captain 
Degner, Company I, Fifty-second Regiment New York Volunteers, was 
repeatedly informed that said idiot boy was in his company, under an 
assumed name; that he. Captain Degner, instead of prosecuting the search 
for said boy, as directed by his commanding officer, attempted to intimidate, 
by threats of punishment, those privates of his company who were disi)osod 
to assist Mrs. Garvin and others engaged in the investigation. 

Some time in the month of May, 18G4, by direction of the Hon. Secretary 
of War, I dispatched a detective officer to your city for the purpose of ascer- 
taining, if possible, whether the boy. Con. Garvin, was sold, taken away, or 
enlisted by the Superintendent of the County Poorhouse. While the testi- 
mony elicited did not directly implicate the said superintendent, enough was 
shown to satisfy me that said idiot boy could not have escaped witliout the 
direct knowledge and connivance of said superintendent. The siibse<]Tienl 
conduct of the superintendent toward Mrs. Garvin and those engaged in the 
Investigation, in ray opinion, strongly confirms this opinion. 

Since the arrival of the Fifty-second New York Volunteers in this city 1 
Lave placed Captain Degner under arrest, to await a further develoi)menl of 
facts. I am exceedingly desirous of probing this matter to the bottom. C'ur 
late beloved President, the lion. Secretary of War, Brigadier-Generals Hardy 
and Townsend, and in fact all the officers connected with the War Depart- 
ment who have listened to Mrs. Garvin's statements, have taken a deep inter 
est in this case. The enormity of the crime, the affection of the poor mother 
for her son, her energy, her persistence and deterrairation In following np 
tvery visible trace of her poor idiot boy, has awakened, in the minds of all 
those conversant with the facts and circumstances of the case, a feeling of 



RErORT IN THE CASE OF CON. GARVIN. 275 

deep inferest and sympathy, I believe that the boy is still living, and will yet 
be found. I shall neither spare time or means in prosecuting my investiga- 
tions, with a view to bring to speedy justice all those engaged in this uihuman 
•fid diabolical outrage. 

I am, »ir, your obedient servant, 

L. 0. Bakbb, 
OdloneL and Acent War Departmrai. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE GREAT C0N8PIRA0T. 

Ajssassinations — Eglon, King of Moab — C^sar, Emperor of Rome — Jamea T of 
England — Marat, the French Revolutionary Leader — Alexander of Russifc— 
Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States. 

The history of treason, conspiracy, and assassination, 
\rould be a record of awful interest — a revelation of singular 
contrasts in motive, while the tragical end sought Avas th*) 
same. The desperate determination to secure, at least avenge 
trampled rights ; religious fanaticism ; and revengeful pas- 
sion ; these have been the most frequent causes of a resort to 
treasonable plots and regicide, with its kindred homicides, 
and attempted murder of representative men in a State. 

As introductory to the narrative of the facts respecting 
t>.e assassination of Mr. Lincoln, which came under my eye 
and official investigation, with fresh details and documents, 
I shall cite a few illustrations from the annals of the past, 
not unftimiliar to intelligent readers, but which, grouped 
together, will be a suggestive background for the mos^ 
revolting scene of depravity treason has ever presented tc 
the world. The earliest instance of regicide in the sacred 
annals is that of Ehud, the left-handed Benjaraite. To 
avenge the tyranny of Eglon, the king of Moab, the invader 
of his country, he made a two-edged dagger, over a foot and 
a half in length, and, hiding it under his robe, took in his 
hand a present to the king. Feigning important intelligence, 
the ruler ordered the attendants to retii-e, when Ehud with 
his left hand drew the dagger from his right side, thrust it 
into the king's body over the hilt, and, leaving it there, tied, 
after shutting behind liira and locking the " doors of the 
parlor." He then blew a trumpet, raised an army, drove 
back the invaders, and delivered the nation from a foreign 

276 



ASSASSINATION OF C^SAR. 277 

yoke. It was a successful assassination, because a dernier 
resort in resisting oppressive usurpation, and under the 
providential sanction of the Almighty. 

In old Roman history, tlie mind turns intuitively to the 
successful conspiracy of which Brutus was the leader ; and 
who, undoubtedly, was governed by patriotic motives. He 
soiiglit to restore the Government to the hands of the Senate 
and the peo])le. This friend of Caesar very reluctantly con- 
scntt'd to become a traitor ; and did not, until the persistent 
and crafty appeals of Cassius and his fellow-conspirators 
made him feel that he must strike the blow for the people. 

Plutarch's description of the assassination is graphic: — 

*' When CtCsar entei-ed the house, tlie senate rose to do 
him honor. Some of Brutus' s accomplices came up behind 
his chair, and others before it, pretending to intercede, along 
with Metilius Cimbri, for the recall of his brother from 
exile. They continued their entreaties till he came to his 
seat. When he was seated, he gave them a positive denial ; 
and as they continued their importunities with an air of com- 
pulsion, he grew angiy. Cimbri, then, with both hands, 
pulled his gown off his neck, which was the signal for the 
attack. Casca gave him the first blow. It was a stroke 
upon the neck with his sword, but the wound was not dan- 
gerous ; tor in the beginning of so tremendous an enterprise 
he was probably in some disorder. Caesar, therefore, turned 
upon him, and laid hold of his sword. At the same time 
they both cried out, the one in Latin — 'Villain! Casca! 
what dost thou mean V and the other in Greek, to his bro- 
ther — ' Brother, help !' 

"After such a beginning, those who knew nothing of tlip 
conspiracy were seized with consternation and horror, inso- 
much that they durst neither \\.y, nor assist, nor even utter a 
word. All the conspirators now drew their swords, and 
surrounded him in such a manner, that whatever way he 
turned he saw nothing but steel gleaming in his fiice, and 
met nothing but wounds. Like some savage beast attacked 
by the hunters, he found every hand lifted against him, for 
they all agreed to have a share in the sacrifice and a taste of 
his blood. Therefore Brutus himself gave him a stroke in 
the groin. Some say, he opposed the rest, and continued 



278 U>'ITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

•stniggling and crying out till he perceived tlie sirord of 
Crutiis ; tlien be drew his robe over his face, and yielded to 
his fate. Either by accident, or pushed thither by the con- 
spirators, he expired on the pedestal of Pompey's statue, and 
.dyed it with his blood : so that Pompey seemed to preside 
over the work of vengeance, to tread his enemy under hi3 
feet, and to enjoy his agonies. Those agonies were great, for 
ho received no less than three-and- twenty wounds ; and 
many of the conspirators wounded each other as they were 
aiming their blows at him. 

" Caesar thus dispatched, Brutus advanced to s^^eak to 
the Senate, and to assign his reasons for what he had done; 
but tluy could not bear to hear him ; they fled out of the 
house, and filled the people with inexpressible horror and 
•dismay. Some shut up their houses; others left their shops 
•and counters; all were in motion: one was running to see 
the spectacle ; another running back. Antony and Lepldus, 
C.Tsar's ])rincipal friends, withdrew, and hid themselves in 
other people's houses. Meantime, Brutus and his confed- 
erates, yet Avarm from the slaughter, marched in a body, 
with their bloody swords in their hands, from the senate- 
house to the capitol, not like men that fled, but with an air 
of gayety and confidence, calling the people to liberty, and 
■stopping to talk with every man of consequence whom they 
met. There were some who even joined them, and mingled 
with their train ; desirous of ap])earing to have had a share 
in the action, and hoping for one in the glory." 

A no less conspicuous, and still more modern conspiracy, 
although a failure, was the Gunpowder Plot of Engh\nd, 
under James I.; — the grandest cons])iracy in its scope, and, 
if successful, in results, on record, lleligious fanaticism 
was its inspiration. The king's growing dislike of the 
Catholics, and Parliamentary enactments unfavorable to 
their prosperity, awakened a fierce opposition. This enmity 
was organized into a conspiracy, under Robert Catesby. 
lie was "a gentleman of good property, in Northampton 
and Warwickshire," says Keightly, "descended from the 
minister of Richard III., and had been brought up a Catho- 
lic ; but he deserted that religion, plunged into all sorts of 
excesses, and ran through his patrimony. He then (15981 



GUNPOWDER PLOT. 279 

retarued to lils olJ religion, and, making up for his apostasy 
by zeal, became a fanatic, and engaged in all the treasons 
and conspiracies which agitated the latter years of Elizabeth. 

"He now conceived the diabolical project of blowing up 
the Parliament-house with gunpowder. This design he 
communicated in Lent, 1604, to John Wright and Thomas 
Winter, two Catholic gentlemen of good character, family, 
and lortane. The latter hesitated at first, but his scru])le3 
soon gave way, and he went over to the Netherlands on a 
double mission ; the one was to try to induce the Constable 
of Castile, who was coming over to conclude the peace, to 
make some stipulations in ftivor of the Catholics ; the other 
to engage in the plot some gentleman of courage and of 
military knowledge and experience. Finding that the Court 
of Spain would not hazard the peace which was so neces- 
sary to it, on their account, he proceeded to execute the 
other part of his commission ; and the pe*-son on whom he 
fixed was one Guy Fawkes, a man of good family in York- 
shire, Avho, having spent his little property, had entered the 
Spanish service. If we may credit Fa*:her Greenway, the 
associate and panegyrist of the conspirators, Fawkes was 
' a man of great piety, of exemplary temperance, of mild 
and cheerful demeanor, an enemy of broils and disputes, a 
faithful friend, and remarkable for his punctual attendance 
upon religious observances' — in a word, a fanatic in whose 
eyes religion justified every deed. Though this high- wrought 
character is doubtless beyond the truth, there seems on the 
other hand to be no ground for regarding Fawkes as a mere 
vulgar ruffian. 

"On the night of the 11th of December, Catesby and hia 
associates entered the house in Westminster, well supplied 
with mining tools, and with hard eggs and baked meats for 
their support. They began to mine the wall of three yards in 
thickness between theirs and the Parliament-house. Fawkes 
stood sentinel while the others wrought. They spread the 
matter which they extracted in the day over the garden at 
night, and not one of them ever went out of the house, o£ 
even into the upper part of it, lest they might be seen. 
They wrought without ceasing till Christmas-eve, when 
Fawkes brought them intelligence that Parliament was fur- 



280 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

tlier prorogued till October. They then agreed to separate 
till after the holidays, when they would resume their labors. 
In February they renewed their labors in the mine, and 
they had pierced half way through the wall, when they sud- 
denly, as we are assured, heard the tolling of a bell within 
the wall under the Parliament-house; they stopped and lis- 
tened ; Fawkes was called down, and he also heard it. On 
sprinkling the place, however, with holy water, tiie myste- 
rious sound ceased; it was frequently renewed, but the same 
remedy always proved efficacious, and it at length ceased 
altogether. One day they heard a rushing noise over their 
heads ; they thought they were discovered, but Fawkes, on 
inquiry, found that it was made by a man of the name of 
Bright, who was selling off his coals from a cellar under the 
House of Lords, in order to remove. They resolved at once 
to take the cellar, for, exclusive of the labor, they found 
the water now coming in on them. The cellar was taken in 
Percy's name also ; twenty barrels of powder were conveyed 
to it from the house in Lambeth, their iron tools and large 
stones were put into the barrels with it, in order to give 
mo]-e efficacy to the explosion, and the whole was covered 
with billets and fagots ; and lumber and empty bottles were 
scattered through the cellar. They then closed it up, placing 
marks withinside of the door, that they might be able to 
ascertain if any one should enter it during their absence. 
Having sent FaAvkes to Flanders to inform Sir William 
Stanley and other English officers of the project, and try to 
obtain foreign aid, they separated for the summer. In the 
autumn, Sir Edmund Bajaiham was sent to Rome, as the 
agent of the conspirators, with whose designs it is likely he 
was acquainted. As it was necessary to have horses and 
arms ready, Catesby pretended that he was commissioned 
lo raise a troop of horse for the Spanish service, and lie had 
thus a pretext for collecting arms, &c., at his own house, 
and at that of Grant ; and several Catholic gentlemen under- 
taking to join him as volunteers, lie directed them to pre- 
pare their arms, and to be ready when called r>n. He and 
Percy now thought it necessary to associate some gentlemen 
of wealth, in order to obtain the requisite funds; and they 
fixed on Sir Everard Digby, of Rutlandshire, Ambiose 



GUNPOWDER PLOT. 281 

Rookwood. of Suffolk, and Francis Tresliam, of NortLamp* 
tonshire ; tlie two first, who were weak bigots, but virtuoua 
men, hesitated at first, but finally joined cordially in the 
project ; the last, a man of indifferent character, was only 
admitted on account of his wealth, and Catesby, it is said, 
had always a mistrust of him. 

" Parliament being finally appointed to meet on the 5th 
of November, the conspirators made their final arrangements. 
Fawkes was to fire the mine, by means of a slow match, 
which would take a quarter of an hour to reach the powder ; 
and as soon as he had lighted it, he was to hasten and get 
aboard a small vessel which was ready in the river, and 
carry the news over to Flanders. Digby was on that day to 
assemble a number of the Catholic gentry, under pretext of a 
hunting-party, at Dunchurch, in Warwickshire ; and as soon 
as they heard of the blow being struck, they were to send a 
party to seize the Princess Elizabeth, who was at Lord Har- 
rington's, in that neighborhood, and she was to be pro- 
claimed in case Winter should fail in the part assigned him, 
of securing one of her brothers. 

" There was one point which had been disputed from the 
beginning, namely, how to act with respect to the Catholic 
nobles. Catesby, it would seem, had little scruple about 
destroying them with the rest, but the majority were for 
saving their friends and relations. Tresham, in particular, 
was most earnest to save his brothers-in-law, the Lords 
Stourton and Mounteagle. It was finally agreed that no 
express notice should be given, but that various pretexts 
should be employed to induce their friends to stay away. 
This, however, did not content Tresham, and some dayd 
after he urged on Catesby and Percy tliat notice should be 
given to Lord Mounteagle ; and on their hesitating, he hinted 
that he should not be ready with the money he had promised, 
and proposed that the catastrophe should be put off till the 
closing of the Parliament. His arguments, however, proved 
hieffectual. 

"On the 26th of October, Lord Mounteagle went and 
Bupped at his house at Hoxton, where he had not been for a 
month before. At supper a letter was handed him by a page, 
who said he had received it from a strange man in the street. 



2a2 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

It was anonymous. By liis lordship's direction, a gentleman 
named Ward read it aloud. It desired him to make some 
excuse for not attending Parliament, 'for God and man,' it 
said, 'hath concurred to punish the wickedness of this time,' 
with sundry other mysterious hints. Lord Mounteagle took 
it that very evening to Lord Salisbury, at 'Whitehall, who 
showed it to some other lords of the council ; and it was 
decided that nothing should be done till the king's return 
from Royston, where he was hunting. 

"Next day (31st) the king returned to London ; a council 
was held the following day on the subject of the letter, and 
James himself is said to have divined its secret meaning.* 
It was determined to search the cellar, but not till Monday, 
the 4th. On that day, the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Mount- 
eagle, and others, went to the Parliament-house. They found 
Fawkes in the cellar, but they made no remark, and that 
night. Sir Thomas Knevett, a magistrate, was sent to the 
place with his assistants ; he met Fawkes as he was stepping 
out of the door, and arrested him, and on searching the cellar, 
thirty-six barrels of powder were discovered. Fawkes was 
brought before the council, where he avowed and gloried in 
his design, but refused to name his accomplices ; he was then 
committed to the Tower. 

"Fawkes was at first sullen, but on the 8th of November 
he made a full confession, concealing, however, the names of 
his associates, whom, however, next day he named to Lord 
Salisbury. It is highly probable that, according to custom, 
the rack had been applied to him. 

" In the whole course of history, an instance more demon- 
strative of the baleful effects of a false sense of religion on 
the mind and heart is not to be found than this plot. A 
more horrible design never was conceived ; yet those who 
engaged in it were mostly men of mild manners, correct 
lives, and independent fortunes — all, we may say, actuated 
by no ignoble motive, but firmly believing that they wei-e 
doing good service to God. 'I am satisfied,' said John 
Grant, on the day of his execution, 'that our project was so 
far from being sinful, that I rely on my merits in bearinc: a 

♦ He might havo done this, and jet Cecil have known the real fact alreaaj. 



CHARLOTTE CORD AY -MARAT 283 

part of that noble action as an abundant satisfaction and 
expiation for all sins coimuitted by me durino; the rest of my 
life.' 'Nothing grieves me,' said Robert Winter to Fawkes, 
'but that there is not an apology made by some to justifj' 
our doing in this business ; but our deaths will be a suf- 
ficient justification of it, and it is for God's cause.' It is said 
by Greenway, tliat as Rookwood was drawn to execution, 
his wife stood i)t an open window in the Strand, comforting 
him, and telliA^ him 'to be of good courage, inasmuch as lie 
Butfered. for a great and noble cause.' Of the truth of this, 
however, we are rather dubious ; fear alone would, we 
apprehend, prevent her from giving utterance to such ex- 
pressions.'' 

During the revolutionary movements of the last century, 
no figure attracts more sympathy and interest among the 
actors in sanguinary scenes of unjustifiable violence, than 
that of Charlotte Cord.iy, of Normandy, herself descended 
from the Norman nobility. She was masculine in the vigor 
of her intellect and acquaintance with political economy, 
but virtuous and modest in character. At first an advocate 
of the French Revolution, because she hailed it as the dawn 
of national liberty, the unprincipled and bloody aspect it 
Boon assumed disheartened and alarmed her, until her single 
absorbing thought was the protection of whatever of free- 
dom remained to France. 

"Marat," records Madame Junot, "was at this period 
the ostensible chief of the mountain party, and the most 
sanguinary of its members. He was a most hideous deform- 
ity, both in mind and person ; his lank and distorted fea- 
tures, covered Avith leprosy, and his vulgar and ferocious 
leer, were a true index of the passions which worked in his 
odious mind. A series of unparalleled atrocities had raised 
him to the highest power with his party ; and though he 
professed to be merely passive in the revolutionary govern- 
ment, liis word was law with the Convention, and his fiat 
ii revocable. In every thing relating to the acquisition of 
wealth he was incorruptible, and even gloried in his poverty. 
But the immense influence he had acquired turned his brain, 
and he gave full range to the evil propensities of his nature, 
aow unchecked by any authority. He had formed princi- 



284 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

pies of political faith in which, perhaps, he sinceiely be 
lieved, but which were found(^d on his inherent love of 
blood, and his hatred of every human being who evinced 
talents or virtue above his fellow-men. The guillotine wa? 
not only the altar of the distorted thing he worship])ed, 
under the name of Liberty, but it was also the instrument 
of his pleasures : for his highest gratification was the writh 
ings of the victim who fell under his axe. Even Robespit-rre 
attempted to check this unquenchable thirst of human blood ; 
but in vain ; opposition only excited Marat to greater atroci- 
ties. With rage depicted in his livid features, and with the 
liowl of a demoniac, he would loudly declare that rivers of 
blood could alone purify the land, and must, therefore, flow. 
In his paper, entitled 'L' AmiduPeuple,' he denounced all 
those whom he had doomed to death, and the guillotine 
spared none whom he designated. 

" Charlotte Corday, having read his assertion in this 
journal, that three hundred thousand heads were requisite 
to consolidate the liberties of the French people, could not 
contain her feelings. Her cheeks flushed with indigna- 
tion : — 

"'What!' she exclaimed, Ms there not in the whole 
country a man bold enough to kill this monster V 

"Imagining that, if she could succeed in destroying 
Marat, the fall of his party must necessarily ensue, s! a 
determined to offer up her own life for the good of Ler 
country. 

" She went to the Palais Royal, and bought a sharp- 
pointed carving-knife, with a black sheath. On her return 
to the hotel in which she lodged— Hotel de la Providence, 
Rue des Augustins — she made her preparation for the deed 
she intended to commit the next day. Having put hei 
papers in order, she placed a certificate of her baptism in a 
red pocket-book, in order to take it with her, and thua 
establish her identity. This she did because she had re 
solved to make no attempt to escape, and was, therefore 
certain she should leave Marat's house for the conciergerie 
preparatory to her appearing before the revolutionary tri 
bunal. 

"Next morning, the 14th, taking with her the knife shi 



ASSASSINATION OF MAEAT. 285 

had purchased, and her red pocket-book, slie proceeded to 
Marat's residence. Tlie representative was ill, and could 
rot be seen, and Charlotte's entreaties for adnjltlance on the 
most urgent business were unavailing. She therefore with- 
drew, and wrote the following note, which she herself 
dc'livered to Marat's servant: — 

"Citizen Rephesen'tative : — 

*' I am just arrived from Caen. Your well-known patriotism leaJs me tc 
presume tliat yon will be glad to be made acquainted with what is passing in 
that part of the Republic. I will call on you again, in the course of the day; 
ha\e tlio goodness to give orders that I may be admitted, and grant me a few 
minutes' conversation. I have important secrets to reveal to you. 

"CnAKLOTTK Coed AT. 

"At seven o'clock in the evening she returned, and 
reached Marat's antechamber; but the woman who waited 
on him refused to admit her to the monster's presence. 
Marat, however, who was in a bath in the next room, hear- 
ing the voice of a young girl, and little thinking she had 
come to deprive him of life, ordered that she should be 
sliOAvn in. Charlotte seated herself by the side of the bath. 
The conversation ran upon the disturbances in the depart- 
ment of Calvados ; and Charlotte, fixing her eyes upon 
Marat's countenance, as if to scrutinize his most secret 
thoughts, pronounced tlie names of several of the Girondist 
deputies. 

" *They shall soon be nrrvsted,' he cried, with a howl of 
rage, 'and executed the sam.- day.' 

"lie had scarcely uttered tliese words, when Charlotte's 
knife was buried in his bosom. 

"'Help!' he cried; 'help! I am murdered.' He died 
immediately." 

The very latest attempt at assassination was the fruitless 
ain of the weapon of death at the life of Alexander of Russia, 
whose details are still fresh in the minds of the civilized 
world —a madly rash endeavor to slay a monarch unrivaled 
in regard for popular rights, and in the admiration of his 
subjects, no less than of other nations. It revealed the 
el umbering hate of the aristocratic class, and the certainty 
that if a ruler's policy infringe upon time-honored excjlusiv^v 



286 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

ness, and proud but unrighteous distinctions, his life is ip 
peril, along T^ith that of the t3a-ant who exasperates, witli 
better reason on their part, the outraged masses. Thia 
naturally brings me to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, 
the purest patriot and wisest, most paternal ruler of any age. 

I shall not discuss the political questions and resolutions 
whose issue was the election to the presidential chair of 
Abraham Lincoln, in the autumn of 1860. But to follow 
the conspiracy against his life from the beginning to tlie 
fearful end, I go back to the thwarted plot which followed 
that popular choice. 

The statement made by a gentleman of Philadel phia, who 
was a prominent actor in the defeat of the deliberate and 
well-arranged plan to murder the President elect, will 
furnish an argument in behalf of the detective service, the 
strength of which is measured b}' the value of his useful life 
during more than four years. The narrative was substan- 
tially as follows : — 

In the month of January, ISGl, a gentleman, holding a 
position in this city which made him a proper agent to act 
on the information, was waited upon b}^ a lady, who stated 
to him her suspicions or knowledge — whence derived we are 
not able to say — of a plot to assassinate Mr. Lincoln when 
on his way from his home, in Illinois, to \yashington, to be 
inaugurated as President. T'u^ active parties, or some of 
them, in the business, were uudei'stood to be in Baltimore. 
At all events, the gentleman considered that the intelligence 
had sufficient foundation to make it his duty to satisfy him- 
self whether it might be correct. He accordingly employed 
a detective officer, a man who had in his profession become 
notable for his sagacity and success, to go to Baltimore and 
adopt his own course to detect the parties to and plan of 
the conspiracy. The officer went to Baltimore, and opened 
an office as some sort of broker or agent, under an assumed 
name. Being supplied with needful funds, he made occa- 
sions to become acquainted with certain classes of secession- 
ists, and by degrees was on free and easy terms with them. 
He took each man in his humor, dined and supped with 
some, gambled with others, 'treated,' and seconded dissipa- 
tions in more ways than need be expressly stated, untU he 



FIRST OONSPIRACY AGAINST MR. LINCOLN. 287 

had secured enough of their confidence to be familiar with 
the particulars of their schemes. Meanwhile it had been 
ascertained that on the line of the Baltimore Railroad there 
were men engaged in military drilling. Several other detec- 
tives were employed by the chief to discover the purpose 
of those organizations ; and, disguised as laborers or farm 
hands, they got themselves mustered in. One of the military 
com panies proved to be loyal in its purpose ; another, under 
pretense of being prepared to guard one or more of the 
bridges north of Baltimore, was designed for quite an oppo- 
site purpose. It will be remembered that some time before 
Mr. Lincoln set out from his home for Washington, hia 
intended route thither was published. A part of the pro- 
gramme was that he should visit Ilarrisburg and Philadel- 
phia. We believe that Mr. Lincoln was not advised espe- 
cially of any personal danger until he was about to go to 
Harrisburg, and then, at the instance of the gentleman 
referred to, he was urged to proceed without delay to Wash- 
ington. He replied, however, that he had promised the 
people of Harrisburg to answer their invitation, and he 
would do so if it cost him his life. He accordingly visited 
Harrisburg on the 22d of February. 1861. It was intended 
he should rest there that evening. But under the manage- 
ment of 'the gentleman,' another arrangement was effected. 
The night train from Philadelphia to Baltimore and Wash- 
ington left at half- past ten o'clock in the evening. It was 
determined that Mr. Lincoln should go secretly by tlial train 
on the evening of the 23d ; and to enable him to do so, a 
special train was provided to bring him secretly from Harris- 
burg to Philadelphia. After dark, in the former city, when 
it was presumed he had retired to his hotel, he accordingly 
took the special train, and came to Philadelphia. Mean- 
while, in anticipation of his coming, 'the gentleman' had 
insun^d the detention of the Pliiladelphia and Baltimore 
train, under the pretense that a parcel of im])ortant docu- 
ments for one of the departments in Wasliington must be 
dispatched by it, but which might not be ready until after 
the regular time of the starting of that train. By a similar 
representation, the connecting train from Baltimore to Wash- 
ington was also detained. Owing to the late hour at which 



288 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

the special train left Harrisburg with Mr. Liucoln, it did not, 
as was anticipated, reacli this city until after the usual Phila- 
del})hia and Baltimore time. Mr. Liucoln was accompanied 
by the officer who had been employed in Baltimore. A formi- 
dable bundle of old railroad re]>orts had been made up in the 
office of the Philadelphia and Baltimore Company, which the 
officer, duly instructed, had charge of. On the arrival of the 
Hairisburg train, Mr. Lincoln took a carriage in waiting, and 
with his escort was driven to the depot at Broad and Prime 
Streets. The officer made some ostentatious bustle, arriving 
with his parcel for which the train was detained, and pass- 
ing through the depot entered the cars, Mr. Lincoln in hia 
company. As Mr. Lincoln passed through the gate, the man 
attending it remarked: 'Old fellow, it's well for you the 
train was detained to-night, or you wouldn't have gone in 
it.' No one aboard the train but the agent of the company 
and the officer knew of Mr.- Lincoln's being in it. He was 
conducted to a sleeping car, and thus was kept out of the 
way of observation. To guard against any possible commu- 
nication by telegraph at this time, the circuit was broken, to 
be united when it would be safe to do so. The plan of the 
conspirators was to break or bui'n one of the bridges north 
of Baltimore, at the time of Mr. Lincoln's anticipated ap- 
proach, on the following day ; and in the confusion incident 
to the stoppage of the train, to assassinate him in the cars, 
rience the extra precaution above mentioned, regarding the 
telegraph. In due time the train with Mr. Lincoln reached 
Washington, and he being safe there, the officer, as pre- 
viously instructed, sent a dispatch to 'the gentleman' that 
' the parcel of documents had been delivered.' The public, 
and, above all, the conspirators, awoke on the morning of 
the 24th to be astonished with the intelligence that Mr. Lin- 
coln had arrived in Washington. It may be well to mention 
here that the story of his disguise in a 'Scotch cap' and 
jloak, was untrue. He wore his ordinary traveling cap, and 
.v^as in no sense of the word disguised. 

His safe arrival in the Capital, the public receptions, and 
the joyful anticipations of the loyal people, succeeded the 
hours of unappreciated danger because generally onknown. 



ASSASSINATION 01' PRESIDENT IJNCOLN. 289 

The services of the remarkable man, during the war, have 
become familiar history to the humblest citizen. 

April 11, 1865, the National Capital and the conntry were 
again jubilant over the closing victories of the conflict. The 
recently reinaugurated President was serenaded, and made 
congratulatory speeches amid the splendors of the evening 
illumination. Then came the 14th, with the commemorative 
flag-raising at Fort Sumter ; and the 17th was set apart f >r a 
general expression of grateful joy. 

But it was a day of darkness and woe, which has no 
parallel in national annals. The events which shrouded the 
land in this tearful gloom will be detailed in the account of 
the capture of the assassin, and his career in its relation 
to it. 

There was a very extraordinary indifference in the mind 
of Mr. Lincoln in regard to threats of assassination, some of 
which I communicated to him. Several times I walked with 
him in the grounds of the White House, at a late hour of 
the evening, conversing upon such intelligence of the war as 
I had received. Whenever allusion was made to the intima- 
tions of cherished designs upon his life, he almost playfully 
listened, and apparently was unable to believe depravity 
could go so far as to destroy a friend of all the people, such 
as he felt himself to be. But the risk was taken, and the 
plotting was too successful against the victorious loyalty of 
the North. 

About ten o'clock in the evening of April 14, 1865, while 
the play, "Our American Cousin," was progressing, a stran- 
ger, who proved to be John Wilkes Booth, an actor of some 
note, worked his way into the proscenium box, occupied by 
the presidential party, and leveling a pistol close behind the 
licad of Mr. Lincoln, he fired, and the ball was lodged deep 
in the brain of the President. The assassin then drew a dirk, 
sj^raug from the box, flourishing tlie weapon aloft, and 
shouted, as he reached the stage, the motto upon the es- 
nutt-lieon of the State of Virginia, ^' Sic Semper Tyranms V 
lie dashed across the stage, and before the audience could 
realize the real position of affairs, the murderer had mounted 
a flt^et horse in waiting in an alley in the rear of the th^^atre, 
and galloping off, he escaped for a time. 

19 



290 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

The screams of Mrs. Lincoln first disclosed to the audi 
9nce tlie fact that the President was shot, when all rose, 
many pressing toward the stage, and exclaiming, "Hang 
him ! Hang him !" The excitement was of the wildest nature. 
Others rushed for the President's box, while others cried 
out, "Stand back! Give him fresh air!" and called for 
stimulants. It was not known at first where he was wound 
ed, the most of those about him thinking that he was shot 
through the heart ; but after opening his vest, and finding 
no wound in his breast, it was discovered that he was shot 
in the head, between the left ear and the centre of the back 
part of the head. In a few moments he was borne to a pri- 
vate house, Mr. Peterson's, just opposite the theatre, where 
the Surgeon-General, and several prominent physicians and 
surgeons were speedily summoned. Meanwhile the mem- 
bers of the Cabinet, with the excex)tion of Secretary Seward, 
whose life had been attempted by an assassin at about the 
same hour with the President, assembled in the room where 
the Chief Magistrate of the nation lay dying. 

Secretaries Stanton, Welles, Usher, McCulloch, Attorney- 
General Speed, and Assistant Secretaries Maunsell B. Field, 
of the Treasury, and Judge Will'am T. Otto, of the Interior, 
together with Speaker Colfax, and several other prominent 
gentlemen were present. The scene was one of extraordi 
nary solemnity. The history of the world does not furnish 
a parallel. Quiet, breathing away his life serenely, uncon- 
scious of all around, sensible to no pain, lay the great man 
of the nineteenth century, passing hence to that immortality 
which has been accorded by Providence to few of earthly 
mould. 

All the long, weary night, the watchers stood by the 
couch of the dying President. From the moment when (Ih- 
fatal bullet entered his brain he never spoke, never evinced 
any consciousness, but, with closed eyes, rested in a repose 
which appeared to be the quiet of death. Mrs. Lincoln and 
Captain Robert Lincoln several times entered the chamber, 
but their grief was such that they tarried but a brief time, 
tender friends urging them to remain in the adjoining room. 

Day dawned at length, and the tide of life ebbed more 
mpidly, and at twenty-two minutes past seven o'clock, od 



LAST HOURS OF THE PRESIDENT. 291 

the morning of Saturday, April 15, 1865, the President 
breathed his last, closing his eyes as if falling to sleep, and 
his countenance assuming an expression of perfect serenity. 
There were no indications of pain, and it was not known 
that he was dead until the gradually decreasing respiialion 
ceased altogether. 

The Rev. Dr. Gurley, pastor of the Presbyterian Church, 
in Washington, which Mr. Lincoln attended regularly with 
his family, immediately on its being ascertained that life was 
extinct, knelt at the bedside, and offered an impressive 
prayer, which was responded to by all present. 

Dr. Gurley then proceeded to the front parlor, wheie 
Mrs. Lincoln, Captain Robert Lincoln, Mr. John Hay, the 
President's Private Secretary, and others were waiting, 
where he again offered prayer for the consolation of the 
family. 

The following minutes, taken by Dr. Af)bott, show the 
condition of the President throughout the night: — 11 p. m., 
pulse 44 ; 11.05 P. M., pulse 45, and growing weaker; 11.10 
p. M., pulse 45 ; 11.15 p. m., pulse 42 ; 11.20 p. m., pulse 45, 
respiration 27 to 30 ; 11.25 p. m., pulse 42 ; 11.32 p. m., pulse 
48 and full ; 11.40 p. m., pulse 45 ; 21.45 p. m., pulse 45, respi- 
ration 22 ; 12.08 a. m., respiration 22 ; 12.15 a. m., respiration 
21, ecchymosis of both eyes; 12.30 a. m., pulse 54; 12.32 
A. M., pulse 60 ; 12.35 A. m., pulse 66 ; 12.40 a. m., pulse 69 ; 
right eye much swollen, and ecchymosed ; 12.45 A. m., pulse 
70, respiration 27 ; 12.55 a. m., pulse 80, struggling motion of 
arms; 1 A. m., pulse 86, respiration 30 ; 1.30 a. m., pulse 95, 
appearing easier ; 1.45 A. M., pulse 87, very quiet, respira- 
tion irregular, Mrs. Lincoln present ; 2.10 a. m., Mrs. Lincoln 
retired with Robert Lincoln to an adjoining room ; 2.30 a. m., 
the President is very quiet, pulse 54, respiration 28; 2.53 
A. M., pulse 48, respiration 30 ; 3 a. m., visited again by Mrs. 
Lincoln ; 3.25 A. m., respiration 24, and regular; 3.25 a. m., 
prayer by the Rev. Dr. G'^rley ; 4 a. m., respiration 26, and 
regular ; 4.15 A. M., pulse 60, respiration 25 ; 5,50 a. m., res- 
piration 28 and regular, sleeping ; 6 a. m., pulse failing, res- 
piration 28 ; 6 30 a. m., still failing, and labored breathing ; 
7 A. M. symptoms of immediate dissolution ; 7.22 a. M., 
death 



^^2 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Surrounding tlie deatli-bed of the President were Secreta- 
ries Stanton, Welles, Usher, Attorney-General Sp^H'd, Post- 
master-General Dennison, M. T. Field, Assistant Secretary 
of the Treasury ; Judge Otto, Assistant Secretary of Interior; 
General Halleck, General Meigs, Senator Sumner, F. R. 
Andrews, of New York ; General Todd, of Dacotah ; Jolin 
Hay, Private Secretary ; Governor Ogleshy, of Illinois ; Gen- 
eral Farnswortli, Mr. and Miss Kenny, Miss Harris, Captain 
liobert Lincoln, son of the President, and Dr. E. W. Abbott, 
R. K. Stone, C. D. Gatch, Neal Hall, and Leiberraan. Sec- 
retary McCullocb remained with the President until about 5 
A. M., and Chief- Justice Chase, after several hours attend 
ance during the night, returned again early in the morning, 

A special Cabinet meeting was called immediately after 
the President's death, by Secretary Stanton, and held in the 
room where the corpse lay. Secretaries Stanton, Welles, 
and Usher, Postmaster-General Dennison, and Attorney. 
General Speed, were present. 

After his death, a complete examination was made of the 
wound with the following result : The ball entered the skull 
midway between the left ear and the center of the back of 
the head, and passed nearly to the right eye. The ball and 
two loose fragments of lead were found in the brain. Sin- 
gularly enough, both orbital roofs were fractured inwardly, 
properly from contre-coup. The tenacity of life was special- 
ly noticed by every surgeon in attendance. The brain was 
taken out, but a considerable portion of it had already 
escaped from the wound. 

Ford's Theater, now converted into a museum of war 
relics, is situated on Tenth Street, just above E Street ; a 
large edifice, built of brick, and plain in appearance. The 
four upper boxes were the boxes of the theatre, and very 
elegant and spacious. 

The box which the President occupied, and which was 
known as "The President's Box," consisted of the two 
upper boxes on the right-hand side of the house as you face 
the stage, thrown into one. It was fitted up with great ele- 
gance and taste. The curtains were of fine lace and buff 
satin, the paper dark and figured, the carpet Turkey, the 
seats velvet, and the exterior ornamentations were lit up 



ANONYMODS (JUAIMUNIOATIONS. 293 

with a cliaste chandelier suspended from the outside. A , 
winding staircase led up to the lobbies which conducted to 
tlie box, and unless the arrangements were stringent, no 
decently dressed person would find much difficulty, proba- 
bly, in entering after being opened for the ingress of the 
party. The house would hold probably between two and 
tliree thousand people. 

There were two alleys at Ford's Theater. One led froir 
the stage, along the east side of the theater, between the 
tlieatre and a refreshment saloon, and so out to Tenth Street. 
The alley was neatly paved, and boarded and papered on 
both sides. The entry to it from the stage was through a 
glass door, and the exit from it on to Tenth Street through a 
wooden one. 

The other passage-way led from the back of the theaire to 
a small alley which commuricated with Ninth and other 
streets, and conducted to a livery-stable locality. It was in 
this alley that the horse of the murderer was kept waiting. 

The Tenth Street door would have been too public, and 
escape, even temporary, a matter of impossibility. But the 
escape by the alley leading from the back of the stage was 
comparatively safe. 

There were two doors there, one used for the egress and 
ingress of the actors, and the other devoted to the accommo- 
dation of scenery and machinery. It was through the smaller 
one that the assassin made his exit. 

On one occasion I carried to Mr. Lincoln two anonymous 
communications, in which he was threatened with assassina- 
tion. In a laughing, joking manner, he remarked, "Well, 
Baker, what do they want to kill me for ? K they kill me, 
they wiU run the risk of getting a worse man " 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

THE ASSASSINS CAPTURED. 

Kicitemont around my Headquarters at Washington — The Chief Conspirator-— I 
Graphic Narrative of his Arrest — His Burial — Desire for ReUcs from his Body- 
Hanging of the Conspirators. 

Aloxo with my own narrative, and tliat of other officers, 
'1 shall fieely quote from sketches written at the time by 
•others, and chiefly at my headquarters, around wliich the 
•excitement attending the dreadful tragedy seemed to surge, 
like a felt but invisible tide, gathering strength every hour, 
'To gratify, as far as possible to do so, the mournful curiosity 
of the people to learn the details of the affair, some corre 
-spondence directly from the centre of investigation and emo- 
tion was allowed. With this general explanation, there will 
be no further reference to the extracts; they will be indi- 
cated by their connection and the tone of narrative, and 
quite accurate in detail. 

One of the writers, whose account of Booth's arrest may 
seem somewhat "sensational," and who sat in my office un- 
der unusual nervous excitement, created by the extraordi- 
nary circumstances, is now a foreign corres])ondent of a 
leading New York daily. 

" John Wilkes Booth was the projector of the plot against 
the President, which culminated in the taking of that gond 
man's life. lie had rolled under his tongue the sweet para 
gra})hs of Shakespeare referring to Brutus, as his father had 
so well, that the old man named one son Junius Brutus, and 
the other John Wilkes, after the wild English agitator, until 
i\ became his ambition, like the wicked Lorenzino de Medici, 
to stake his life upon one stroke for fame, the murder of a 
ruler obnoxious to the South. 

"Booth shrank at first from mnrdeT nrt^I another and 

294 



THE KIDNAPPING PLOT. 295 

less dangerous resolution failed. This was nc less tlian the 
capture of the President's body, and its detention or trans- 
portation to the South. I do not rely for this assertion upon 
his sealed letter, where he avows it ; there has been found 
upon a street within the city limits a house belonging to one 
Afrs. Greene, mined and furnished with underground apart- 
ments, furnished with manacles, and all the accessories to 
private imprisonment. Here the President, and as many aa 
could be gagged and conveyed away with him, were to be 
concealed, in the event of fjiilure to run them into the Con- 
federacy. Owing to his failure to group around him as many 
men as he desired, Booth abandoned the project of kidnap- 
ping ; but the house was discovered, as i-epresented, ready 
to be blown up at a moment's notice. 

"It was at this time that Booth devised his triumphal 
route through the South. The dramatic element seems to 
have been never lacking in his design, and with all his base 
purposes he never failed to consider some subsequent noto- 
riety to be enjoyed. He therefore shipped, before the end 
of 1861, his theatrical wardrobe from Canada to Nassau. 
After the commission of his crime he intended to rechiiin it, 
and 'star' through the South, drawing many, as much by 
his crime as his abilities. 

"When Booth began, 'on his own responsibility,' to 
hunt for accomplices, he found his theory at fault. The 
bold men he had dreamed of refused to join him in tlie rash 
attempt at kidnapping the President, and were too conscien- 
tious to meditate murder. All those who presented them- 
selves were military men, unwilling to be subordinate to a 
civilian and a mere playactor, and the mortified bravo found 
himself, therefore, compelled to sink to a petty rank in the 
plut or to make use of base and despicable assistants. Hia 
vanity found it easier to compound with the s<'Cond alterna- 
rive than the first 

"Here began the first resolve, which, in its mere animal 
state, we may name courage. Booth found tliat a tragedy 
in real life could no more be enacted without greasy-faced 
and knock-kneed supernumeraries than upon tlie mimic 
stage. Your 'First Citizen,' who swings a stave for Marc 
Antony, and drinks hard porter behind the flies, is very like 



296 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

tlie bravo of real life, who murders between his cocktails at 
the nearest bar. Wilkes Booth had passed the ordeal of a 
garlicky green-room, and did not shrink from the broader 
and ranker green-room of real life. He assembled aronud 
him, one by one, the cut-throats at whom his soul would 
have revolted, except that he had become, by resolve, a cut- 
throat in himself. 

"About this time certain gentlemen in Canada began to 
be unenviably known. I make no charges against those 
whom I do not know, but simply say that the Confederate 
agents, Jacob Thompson, Larry McDonald, Clement Clay, 
and some others, had already accomplished enough villainy 
to make Wilkes Booth, on the first of the present year, be- 
lieve that he had but to seek an interview with them. 

" He visited the provinces once certainly, and three times 
it is believed, stop])ing in Montreal at St. Lawrence Hall, 
and banking four hundred and fifty-five dollars odd at the 
Ontario Bank. This was his own money. I have myself 
seen his bank-book with the single entry of this amount. It 
was found in the room of Atzeroth at Kirkwood's Hotel. 

"Some one or all of these agents furnished Booth with a 
murderer — the fellow Wood, or Payne, who stabbed Mr. 
Seward, and was caught at Mrs. Surratt's house in Washing- 
ton. He was one of three Kentucky brothers, all outlaws, 
and had himself, it is believed, accompanied one of hia 
brothers, who is known to have been at St. Albans on the 
day of the bank delivery. This Payne, besides being posi- 
tively identified as the assassin of the Sewards, had no 
friends nor haunts in Washington. He was simply a dis- 
patched murderer, and after the night of the crime struck 
northward for the frontier, instead of southward in the com- 
pany of Booth. The proof of this will follow in the course 
of the article. 

"Half applauded, half rebuffed by the rebel agents in 
Canada, Booth's impressions of his visit were just those 
which would whet him soonest for the tragedy. His vanitj 
had been fed by the assurance that success depended upon 
himself alone, and that as he had the responsibility he 
would absorb the fame ; and the method of correspondence 



TOBACCO AND SLAVERY. 297 

WHS of that dark and mysterious shape wbicli powerfully 
operated upon his dramatic temperament. 

"What could please an actor, and the son of an actor, 
better than to mingle as a principal in a real conspiracy, the 
aims of which were pseudo-patriotic, and the ends so as- 
tounding, that at its coming the whole globe would reel. 
Booth reasoned that the ancient world would not feel more 
sensitively the death of Julius Caesar, than the new the sud- 
den taking off of Abraham Lincoln. 

" And so he grew into the idea of murder. It became his 
business thought. It was his recreation and his study. He 
had not worked half so hard for histrionic success as for his 
terrible graduation into an assassin. lie had fought often on 
the boards, and had seen men die in well-imitated horror, 
with Howing blood upon the keen sword's edge, and the 
strong stride of mimic victory with which he flourished his 
weapon at the closing of the curtain. He embraced con- 
spiracy like an old diplomatist, and found in the woman and 
the spot subjects for emulation. 

" v:50utheast of Washington stretches a tapering peninsula, 
compt.sed of four fertile counties, which at the remote tip 
make Point Lookout, and do not contain any town within 
lliem of more than a few hundred inhabitants. Tobacco has 
ruined the land of these, and slavery has ruined the people. 
Yet in the beginning they were of that splendid stock of 
Calvert and Lord Baltimore, but retain to-day only the reli- 
gion of the peaceful founder. I mention, as an exceptional 
and remarkable fact, that every conspirator in custody is by 
education a Catholic. These are h)yal citizens elsewhere, 
but the western shore of Maryland is a noxious and pestilen- 
tial place for patriotism. 

"The country immediately outside of the District of Co- 
lumbia, to the south, is named Prince George's, and the 
pleasantest village of this county, close to Washington, is 
called Surrattsville. This consists of a few cabins at a cross- 
road, surrounding a fine old hotel, the master whereof, giv- 
ing the settlement his name, left the property to his wife, 
who for a long time carried it on with indifferent success. 
Having a son and several daughters, she moved to Wash- 
ington soon after the beginning of the war, and left the tav- 



238 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVTCK 

em to a trusty friend — one John Lloyd. Siirrattsville has 
gained notliini]^ in patronage or busim^ss from tlie war, except 
that it became, at an early date, a rebel post-oflice. The 
great secret mail from Matthias Creek, Yirgini;!, to l^ort 
Tobacco, struck Surrattsville, and thence headed off to the 
east of ^Vashington, going meanderingly^ north. Of this ])0; i 
route Mrs. Surratt was a manageress ; and John T J 03-d. wh< n 
he rent*xl her hotel, assumed the responsibility of looking 
out for the mail, as well as the duty of making Mrs. Surratt 
at home when she chose to visit him. 

"So Surrattsville, only ten miles from Washin.q,ton, has 
been throughout the war a seat of conspiracy. It was like a 
suburb of Richmond, reaching quite up to the rival capital ; 
and though the few Unionists on the peninsula knew its 
reputation well enough, nothing of the sort came out until 
after the murder. 

"Treason never found abetter agent than Mrs. Surratt. 
She was a large, masculine, self-possessed female, mistress 
of her house, and as lithe a rebel as Belle Boyd or Mrs. 
Greensborough. She had not the flijtpancy and menace of 
the first, nor the social power of the second ; but the rebellion 
has found no fitter agent. 

"At her country tavern and Washington home, Booth 
was made welcome, and there began the muttered nuirder 
against the nation and mankind. 

"The acquaintance of Mrs. Surratt in Lower Maiyland 
undoubtedly suggested to Booth the route of escape, and 
made him known to his subsequent accomplices. Last fall 
he visited the entire region, as far as Leonardstown, in St. 
Mary's County, professing to buy land, but really making 
himself informed upon the rebel post stations, with all the 
leading affiliations upon whom he could depend. At this 
lime he bought a map, a fellow to which I have seen among 
Atzeroth's effects, published at Buffalo for the rebel govern- 
ment, and marking at hap-hazard all the Maryland villages, 
but without tracing the high-roads at all. The absence of 
these roads, it will be seen hereafter, very nearly misled 
Booth during his crippled flight. 

"When B(>)th cast around him for assistants, he naturally 
selected those men whom he could control. The first that 



BOOTH'S THREE SCHEMES, 299 

rpcommended himself Tvas one Harold, a youth of inane and 
plastic character, carried away by the example of an actor, 
and fnll of execrable quotations, going to show that that he 
was an imitator of the master spirit, both in text and admira- 
ti<m. This Harold was a gunner, and therefore versed in 
irms ; he had traversed the whole lower portion of Mary- 
aud, and was therefore a geographer as well as a tool. His 
friends lived at every farm-house between Washington and 
]ieonardsville, and he was respectably enough connected, so 
as to make his association credital^le as well as useful. 

" Young Surratt does not appear to have been a puissant 
spirit in the scheme ; indeed, all design and intluence therein 
was absorbed by Mrs. Surratt and Booth. The latter was 
the head and heart of the plot ; Mrs. Surratt was his anchor, 
and the rest of the boys were disciples to Iscariot and Jeze- 
bel. John Surratt, a youth of strong Southern physiogno- 
my, beardless and lanky, knew of the murder and connived 
at it. 'Sam' Arnold and one McLaughlin were to have 
been parties to it, but backed out in the end. They all 
relied upon Mrs. Surratt, and took their 'cues' from Wilkes 
Booth. 

"The conspiracy had its own time and kept its own 
counstd. Murder, except among the principals, was seldom 
mentioned except by genteel implication. But they all pub- 
licly agreed that Mr. Lincoln ought to be shot, and that the 
North was a race of fratricides. Much was said of Brutus, 
and Booth repeated heroic passages, to the delight of Harold, 
who learned them also, and wondered if he was not born to 
greatness. 

"In this growing darkness, where all rehearsed cold- 
hearted murder, AVilkes B(j(jth grew great of stature. He 
had found a purpose consonant with his evil nature and bad 
nitiuence over weak men ; so he grew moodier, more vigi- 
lant, more ]>lausible. By mien and temperament he was 
born to handle a stiletto. We have nc face so markedly 
Italian ; it would stand for CtTsar Borgia any day in the 
year. All the rest were swayed or persuaded by Booth ; hia 
schemes were three in order : — 

" 1st. To kidnap the President and Cabinet, and run them 
South or blow them up. 



300 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

" 2d. Kidnapping failed, to murder tlie President and tlie 
rest, and seek shelter in the Confederate capital. 

"3d The rebellion failed, to be its avenger, and throw 
the country into consternation, while he escaped by the 
unfrequented parts of Maryland. 

" When this last resolution had been made, the plot waa 
botli contracted and extended. There were made two dis' 
tinct circles of confidants, those aware of the meditated mur- 
der, and those who might shrink from murder, though will- 
ing accessories for a lesser object. Tv/o colleagues for blood 
were at once accepted, Payne and Atzeroth. 

"The former I have sketched; he is believed to have 
visited Washington once before, at Booth's citation ; for the 
murder was at first fixed for the day of inauguration. Atze- 
roth was a fellow of German descent, who had led a despe- 
rate life at Port Tobacco, wliere he was a house-painter. He 
had been a blockade-runner across tlie Potomac, and a mail- 
carrier. When Booth and Mrs. Surratt broke the design to 
him, with a suggestion that there was wealth in it, he em- 
braced the offer at once, and bought a dirk and pistol. 
Payne also came from the North to Washington, and, as fate 
would have it, the President was announced to appear at 
Ford's Theater in public. Then the resolve of blood was 
reduced to a definite moment. 

"On the night before the crime, Booth found one on 
wh(mi he could rely. John Surratt was sent nortliAvard by 
his uiothf^r on Tliursdny. Sam Arnold and ]\IcLaughlin, 
each of whom was to kill a Cabinet officer, grew ])igeon- 
liven^d and ran away. Harold, true to his partiality, lin- 
gered around Booth to the end ; Atzeroth went so far as to 
lake his knife and pistol to Kirkwood's, where President 
Johnson was stopping, and hid them under the bed. Ihd 
either his courage faih^l, or a trilling accident deranged hia 
plan. But Payne, a professional murderer, stood 'game, 
find fought his way over prostrate figures to the sick victim's 
bed. There was great co)ifusion and terror among the tacit 
and rash conspirators on Thursday night. They had looked 
upon the plot as of a melodrama, and found to their horror 
that John Wilkes Booth meant to do murder. 

" Six weeks before the murder, young John Surratt had 



THE CARBINES— LLOYD— ATZEROTH 301 

^ken two splendid repeating carbines to Siirrattsvillf', and 
told Jolm Lloyd to secrete them. The latter made a hole in 
the Tfainscoting and suspended them from strings, so that 
they fell within the plastered wall of the room below. On 
the veiy afternoon of the murder, Mrs. Surratt was driven to 
Surrattsville, and she told John Lloyd to have tlie carbines 
rendy, because they would be called for that night. IlaroM 
was made quartermaster, and hired the horses. Re and 
Atzerolh were mounted between eight o'clock and the time 
of the murder, and riding about the streets together. 

"The whole party was prepared for a long ride, as their 
Bpnrs and gauntlets show. It may have been their design to 
ride in company to the Lower Potomac, and by their num- 
bers exact subsistence and transportation. 

"Lloyd, I may interpolate, ordered his wife, a few days 
before the murder, to go on a visit to Allen's Fresh. She 
Bays she does not know why she was so sent away, but 
swears that it is so. Harold, three weeks before the murder, 
visited Port Tobacco, and said that th'^ next time the boys 
heard of him he would be in Spain ; he added that with 
Spain there was no extradition treaty. Re said at Surratts- 
ville that he meant to make a barrel of monty, or his neck 
would stretch. 

" Atzeroth said that if he ever came to Fort Tobacco again 
he would be rich enough to buy the whole place. 

" Wilkes Booth told a fiiend to go to Ford's on Friday 
night and see the best a^tinL' -ii the world. 

"At Ford's Theater, on I'riday night, there were many 
stnnders in the neighborhood of the door, and along the 
dress circle in the direction of the private box where the 
Presid(>nt sat. 

"The play went on pleasantly, \hough Mr. "Wilkes Booth, 
an observer of the audience, visited the stage and took note 
of the position. Ills alleged associate, the stage-carpenter, 
then received quiet orders to clear the passage by the wings 
from the prompter's post to the stage door. All this time, 
Mr. Lincoln, in his family circle, unconscious of the death 
that crowded fast upon him, witnessed the pleasantry and 
smiled, and felt heartful of gentleness. 



302 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

" Suddenly there was a murmur near the audience door, 
as of a man speaking above his bound. He said ; — 

" ' Nine o'clock and forty-five minutes 1' 

" These words were reiterated from mouth to mouth until 
they passed the theater door, and were heard upon the side- 
walk. 

" Directly a voice cried, in the same slightly raised mono- 
tone — 

" ' Nine o'clock and fifty minutes I' 

"This also passed from man to man, until it touched the 
street like a shudder. 

"'Nine o'clock and fifty-five minutes!' said the same 
relentless voice, after the next interval, each of which nar- 
rowed to a lesser span the life of the good President. 

"Ten o'clock here sounded, and conspiring echo said in 
reverberation — 

"' Ten o'clock 1' 

" Sojlike a creeping thing, from lip to lip went — 

" ' Ten o'clock and five minutes 1' 

"An interval. 

" ' Ten o'clock and ten minutes !' 

"At this instant Wilkes Booth appeared in the door of 
the theater, and the men who had repeated the time so faith- 
fully and so ominously, scattered at his coming as at some 
warning phantom. 

"All this is so dramatic thai I fear to excite a laugh when 
J write it. But it is true and proven, and I do not say it, 
but report it. 

" All evil deeds go wrong. While the click of tlu^ ])istf)l, 
taking the President's life, went like a })aiig tlnuu^h the 
theater, Payne was spilling blood in Mr. ^i-wanTs house 
from threshold to sick-chamber. B\i\ Booth's brc^kru leg 
delayed him or made him lose his gt-nrral calmness, and he 
and Llarold left Payne to his late. 

"1 have not adveited to the hole boi-ed with a gimlet in 
the entry door of Mr. Lincoln's box, and cut out with a pen- 
knife. The theory that the pistol- ball of Booth passed 
through this hole is now exploded. When Booth leaped 
from the box he strode straight across the stage by the foot- 
lights, reaching the prompter's post, which is immediat>ily 



PAYNES rLlu'JT AND rAJ'TUHE. 303 

behind tliat private box opposite to Mr, Lincoln. From ihig 
box to the stage-door in the rear, the ])assage-way l-'ada 
beliind the ends of tlie scenes, and is generally either closed 
np by one or more withdrawn scenes, or so narrow that only 
by doubling and turning sidewise can one pass along. On 
this fearful night, however, the scenes were so adjusted to 
the murderer s design that he had a free aisle from the foot 
of the stage to the exit-door. 

"Within fifteen minutes after the murder the wires were 
severed entirely round the city, excepting only a secret wire 
for Government uses, which leads to Old Point. I am told 
that by this wire the Government reached the fortifications 
around Washington, first telegraphing all the way to Old 
Point, and then back to the out-lying forts. This informa- 
tion comes to me from so many credible channels that 1 must 
concede it. 

" Payne having, as he thought, made an end of Mr. 
Seward, which w'ould have been the case but for Robinson, 
the nurse, mounted his horse, and attempted to fiud Booth. 
But the town was in alarm, and he galloped at once for the 
open country, taking, as he imagined, the proper road for 
the East Branch. He rode at a killing pace, and when near 
Port Lincoln, on the Baltimore pike, his horse threw him 
headlong. Afoot and bewildered, he resolved to return to 
the city, whose lights he could plainly see ; ])ut before doing 
so he concealed himself some time, and made some almost 
absurd efforts to disguise himself. Cutting a cross section 
from the woolen undershijl which covered his muscular 
arm, he made a rude cap of it, and threw avray his bloody 
coat. This has since been found in the Avoods, and blood 
has been found also on his bosom and sleeves. He also 
spattered himself plentifully with mud and clay, and taking 
an abandoned pick from the deserted intrenchments near by, 
he struck out at once for Washington. 

"By the providence which always attends murder, he 
reached Mrs. Surratt's door just as the officers of the Gov- 
ernment were arresting her. They seized Payne at once, 
who had an awkward lie to urge in his defense — that he had 
come there to dig a trench. That night he dug a trench deep 
and broad enough for them both to lie in forever. They 



304 UNTTED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

washed his hands, and found them soft and womanish ; his 
pockets contained tooth and nail-brushes, and a delicate 
pocket-knife. All this apparel consorted ill with his as- 
sumed character. 

''Coarse, and hard, and calm, Mrs. Surratt shut up hnr 
house after the murder, and waited with her daughters till 
the officers came. She was imperturbable, and rebuked her 
girls for weeping, and would have gone to jail like a statue, 
but that in her extremity Payne knocked at her door. He 
had come, he said, to dig a ditch for Mrs. Surratt, whom he 
very well knew. But Mrs. Surratt protested that she had 
never seen the man at all, and had no ditch to clean. 

" 'IIow fortunate, girls,' she said, 'that these officers are 
here ; this man might have murdered us all.' 

"Her effrontery stamps her as worthy of companionship 
with Booth. Payne has been identified by a lodger of Mrs. 
Surratt' s as having twice visited the house, under the name 
of Wood. 

"Atzeroth had a room almost directly over Vice-Presi- 
dent Johnson's. He had all the materials to do murder, but 
lost spirit or opportunity. He ran away so hastily, that all 
his arms and baggage were discovered ; a tremendous bowie 
knife and a Colt's cavalry revolver were found between the 
mattresses of his bed. Booth's coat was also found there, 
showing conspired lliglit in company, and in it three boxes 
of cartridges, a ma]) of Maryland, gauntlets for riding, a spur, 
and a handkerchief marked with the name of Booth's mother 
— a mother's souvenir for a murderer's pocket. 

"Atzeroth tied alone, and was found at the house of his 
nncle, in Montgomery County, Maryland. I do not know 
that any instrument of murder has ever made me thrill as 
when I drew his terrible bowie-knife from its sheath. 

"I come now to the ride out of the city by the chief 
assassin and his dupe. Harold met Booth immediately after 
the crime in the next street, and they rode at a gallop past 
the Patent Office and over Capitol Hill. 

"As they crossed the Eastern Branch at Uniontown, 
Booth gave his proper name to the officer at the bridge. 
This, which would seem to have been foolish, waa, in 
reality, very shrewd. The officers believed that one of 



SURRATTSVILLE— DR. MIHDD. 305 

Booth's accomplices had given tliis name m ordtr to put 
them out of the real Booth's track. So they made eflbrta 
elsewhere, and Booth got a start. At midnight, precisely, 
the two horsemen stopped at Surrattsville, Booth remaining 
on his nag, while Harold descended and knocked lustily at 
the door. Lloyd, the landlord, came down at once, when 
Harold pushed past him into the bar, and obtained a bottle 
of whisky, some of which he gave to Booth immediately. 
While Booth was drinking, Harold went up stairs and 
brought down one of the carbines, Lloyd started to get 
the other, but Harold said : — 

" ' We don't want it ; Booth has broken Lis leg, and can't 
carry it.' 

"So the second carbine remained in the hall, where the 
officers afterward found it. 

"As the two horsemen started to go off, Booth cried out 
f,o Lloyd : — 

" 'Don't you want to hear some news ?' 

*"I don't care much about it,' cried Lloyd, by his own 
account. 

"*We have murdered,' said Booth, 'the President and 
Secretary of State.' 

"And, with this horrible confession. Booth and Harold 
dashed away in the midnight, across Prince George's County. 

"On Saturday, before sunrise. Booth and Harold, who 
had ridden all night without stopping elsewhere, reached 
the house of Dr. ]\f udd, three miles from Bryantown. They 
contracted with him, for twenty-five dollars in greenbacks, 
to set the broken leg, Harold, who knew Dr. Mudd, intro- 
duced Booth under another name, and stated that he had 
fallen from his horse during the night. The doctor re- 
marked of Booth that he draped the lower part of his face 
while the leg was being set ; he was silent, and in pain. 
Having no splints in the house, they split up an old-fashioned 
wooden band- box and prepared them. The doctor was 
assisted by an Englishman, who at the same time began to 
hew out a pair of crutches. The inferior bone of the left leg 
was broken vertically across, and, because vertically, it did 
Dot yield when the crippled man walked upon it. 

' ' The riding boot of Booth had to be cut from his foot ; 

20 



306 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

w^ithin were tlie words ' J. Wilkes.' The doctor says lie did 
not notice these. The two men waited around the house all 
day, but toward evening they slipped their horses from the 
stable and rode away in the direction of Allen's Fresh. 

" Below Ervantown run certain deep and slimy swamps. 
Along the belt of these Booth and Harold picked up a negro 
named Swan, who volunteered to show them the road for 
two dollars. They gave him five more to show them the \ 
route to Allen's Fresh; but really wished, as their actions 
intimated, to gain the house of one Sam Coxe, a notorious 
rebel, and probably well advised of the plot. They reached 
the house at midnight. It is a fine dwelling, one of the best 
in Maryland ; and after hallooing for some time, Coxe came 
down to the door himself. As soon as he opened it, and 
beheld who the j^trangers were, he instantlj'" blew out the 
candle he held in his hand, and, without a word, pulled 
them into the room, the negro remaining in theyaid. The 
confederates remained in Coxe's house till 4 a. m., during 
which time the negro saw them eat and driuk heartily ; but 
when they reappeared they spoke in a loud tone, so that 
Swan could hear them, against the hospitality of Coxe. All 
this was meant to influence the darkey ; but their motives 
were as apparent as their words. He conducted thera three 
miles further on, when they told him that now they knew 
the way, and giving him five dollars more, making twelvt 
in all, told him to go back. 

" But when the negro, in the dusk of the morning, looked 
after them as he receded, he saw that both horses' heads 
were turned once, more toward Coxe's,. and it was this man, 
doubtless, who harbored the fugitives from Sunday to 
Thursday, aided, possibly, by such neighbors as the Wil- 
sons and Adamses. 

'•At the point where Booth crossed the Potomac the 
shores are very shallow, and one must wade out some dis 
tance to where a boat will float. A white man came up here 
with a canoe on Friday, and tied it by a stone anchor. Be 
I ween seven and eight o'clock it disappeared, and in the 
afternoon some men at work on Methxy Creek, in Virginia, 
3aw Booth and Haiold land, tie the boat's rope to a stone and 
fling it ashore, and strike at once across a ploughed field fox 



IMPORTANT TESTIMONY— LOVETT— MAJOR O'BIERNE. 3^)9 

K'mg George Court House. Many folks entertained them, 
without doubt, but we positively hear of them next at Port 
Ro3'al Ferry, and then at Garrett's farm. 

"The few Unionists of Prince George's and Charles Coun- 
ties, long persecuted and intimidated, came forward and 
gave important testimony. 

"Among these was one Kbby, a very fat and very zeal- 
ous old gentleman, whose professions were as ample as liia 
perspiration. He told the officers of the secret meetings for 
conspiracy's sake at Lloyd's Hotel, and although a very 
John Gilpin on horseback, rode here and there to his great 
loss of wind and repose, fastening fire coals upon the guilty 
or suspected. 

"Lloyd was turned over to Mr. Cottingham, who had 
established a jail at Robytown ; that night his house was 
searched, and Booth's carbine found hidden in the wall. 
Three days afterward, Lloyd himself confessed. 

" The little party, under the untiring Lovett, examined 
all the farm-houses below Washington, resorting to many 
shrewd expedients, and taking note of the great swamps to 
the east of Port Tobacco ; they reached Newport at last, and 
fastened tacit guilt upon many residents. 

"Beyond BryantoAvn they overhauled the residence of 
Dr. Mudd, and found Booth's boots. This was before Lloyd 
confessed, and was the first positive trace the officers had 
that they were really close upon the assassins. 

" I do not recall any thing more wild and startling than 

this vague and dangerous exploration of a dimly known, 

hostile, and ignorant country. To these few detectives we 

OAve much of the subsequent successful precaution of the 

.pursuit. They were the Hebrew spies. 

"By this time the country was filling up with soldiers, 
but [)reviously a second memorable detective party went out 
under the personal command of Major O'Bierne. It consist 
ed, besides that officer, of Lee, D'Angelis, Callahan, Hoey, 
Bostwick, Hanover, Bevins, and McHenry, and embarked 
at Washington on a steam-tug for Chappell's Point. Here a 
military station had long been established for the prevention 
of blockade and mail running across the Potomac. It waa 
commanded by Lieutenant Laverty, and garrisoned by sixty- 



SiO TTXTTED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

five men. On Tuesday niglit Major 0' Bierne's party reachccl 
tliis place, and soon afterward a telegraph station was estab- 
lished here by an invaluable man to the expedition, Captain 
Beckwith, General Grant's chief cipher operator, who tajiped 
tlie Point Lookout wire, and placed the War Department 
within a moment's reach of the theater of events. 

"Major O'Bierne's party started at once, over the -^^orst 
r )ad in the world, for Port Tobacco. 

"If any place in the world is utterly given over to de- 
pravity, it is Port Tobacco. From this town, by a sinuous 
creek, there is flat-boat navigation to the Potomac, and 
across that river to Mattox Creek. Before the war, Port 
Tobacco was the seat of a tobacco aristocracy and a haunt of 
negro traders. It passed very naturally into a rebel post for 
blockade-runners and a rebel post-office general. Gambling, 
corner-fighting, and shooting matches were its lyceum edu- 
cation. Violence and ignorance had every suffrage in the 
town. Its people were smugglers, to all intents, and there 
was neither Bible nor geography to the whole region adja- 
cent. Assassination was never very unpopular at Port To- 
bacco, and when its victim was a Northern President, it 
became quite heroic. A month before the murder, a provost- 
marshal near by was slain in his bed-chamber. For such a 
town and district, the detective police were the only eflJective 
missionaries. 

"The hotel here is called the Brawner House ; it has a 
bar in the nethermost cellar, and its patrons, carousing in 
that imperfect light, look like the denizens of some burglar's 
crib, talking robbery between their cups ; its dining-room is 
dark and tumble-down, and the cuisine bears traces of Kaflir 
origin ; a barbecue is nothing to a dinner there. The court- 
house of Port Tobacco is the most superfluous house in the 
place, except the church. It stands in the center of the 
town, in a square, and the dwellings lie about it closely, aa 
if to throttle justice. Five hundred people exist in Poit 
Tobacco ; life there reminds me, in connection with the 
slimy river and the adjacent swamps, of the great reptile 
period of the world, when iguanodons, and pterodactyls, and 
pli'siosauri ate each other. 

" Into this abstract of Gomorrah the few detectives wf-nt 



MUS. WEEELER—CR ANGLE— FRUITLESS SEARCH. 311 

like angels who visited Lot. They pretended to be inqiiinng 
for IVirnds, or to have business designs, and the first people 
tliny heard of were Harold and Atzeroth. The latter had 
visited Port Tobacco three weeks before the murder, and 
iiitiniatt^d al that time his design of fleeing the country. 
But everybody denied having seeu him subsequent to the 
crime. 

" Atzeroth had been in town just prior to the crime. He 
had been living with a widow woman, named Mrs. Wheeler, 
and slie was immediately called upon by Major O'Bierne. 
He did not tell her what Atzeroth had done, but vaguely 
hinted that he had committed some terrible crime, and that 
since he had done her wrong, she could vindicate both her- 
self and justice by telling his whereabouts. The woman 
admitted that Atzeroth had been her bane, but she loved 
him, and refused to betray him. 

"Ilis trunk was found in her garret, and in it the key 
to his paint sliop in Port Tobacco. The latter was fruitlessly 
searched, but the probable whereabouts of Atzeroth in Mont- 
gomery County obtained, and Major O'Bierne telegraphing 
there immediately, the desperate fellow was found and 
locked up. A man named Crangle, who had succeeded 
Atzeroth in Mrs. Wheeler's jjliable afTections, was arrested 
at once and put in jail. A number of disloyal people were 
indicated or "spotted" as in no wise angry at the Presi- 
dent's taking o(F, and for all such a provost prison was 
established. 

" A few miles from Port Tobacco dwelt a solitary woman, 
who, when questioned, said that for many nights she had 
lieard, after she had retired to bed, a man enter her cellar, 
and be there all night, departing before dawn. Major 
(f Bierne and the detectives ordered her to place a lamp in 
her window the next night she heard him enter ; and at dark 
tJiey established a cordon of armed officers around the place. 
At midnight punctually she exhibited the light, when the 
officers broke into the house and thoroughly searched it, 
without result. Yet tlie woman positively asserted that she 
had heard the man enter. 

" It was afterward found that she was of diseased mind. 

' ' By this time the military had come up in considerable 



.312 U^NITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

^numbers, and Major O'Bierne was enabled to confer witii 
Major Wait, of the Eighth Illinois. 

"The major had pushed on, on Monday night, to Leon- 
-ardstown, and pretty T^ell overhauled tliat locality. 

'• It was at this time that preparations were made to hunt 
'the swamps around Chapmantown, Bethtown, and Allen's 
Fresh. Booth had been entirely lost since his departure 
■from Mudd's house, and it was believed that he had eitlier 
.pushed on for the Potomac or taken to the swamps. The * 
officers sagaciously detennined to follow him to the one, and 
1,0 explore the other. 

"The SAvamps tributary to the various branches of the 
Wicomico River, of which the chief feeder is Allen's Creek, 
bear various names, such as Jordan's Swamp, Atchall's 
"Swamp, and Scrub Swamp. There are dense growths of 
dogwood, gum, and beech, planted in sluices of water and 
■bog, and their width varies fi-om a half mile to four miles, 
while their length is upward of sixteen miles. Frequent 
deep ponds dot tliis wildernt^ss place, with here and there a 
■fitretcli of dry soil, but no human being inhabits the malari- 
ous extent ; even a hunted murderer would shrink from 
hiding thore. Serpents and slimy lizards are the only living 
denizens ; sometimes the coon takes refuge in this desert 
from the hounds, and in the soft mud a thousand odorous 
muskrats delve, and now and then a tremulous otter. But 
not even the hunted negro dare to ftithom the treacherous 
clay, nor make himself a fellow of the slimy reptiles which 
reign absolute in this terrible solitude. Here the soldiers 
prepared to sc^ek for the President's assassins, and no search 
of the kind has ever been bo thorough and patient. The 
Shawnee, in his stronghold of despair in the heart of the 
Ukeefenokee, would scarcely have changed homes Mitli 
WilkeT Booth and David Harold, hiding in this iiihuniai} 
country. 

"'Ihe military forces deputed to pursue the fugitives 
were seven hundred men of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, six 
hundred men of the Twenty-second Colored Troops, and one 
hundred men of the Sixteenth New York. These swept the 
swamps by detachments, the mass of them dismounted, with 
cavalry at the belts of clearings, interspersed with detectives 



SEARCniNQ THE SWAMPS— A RUSE. 313 

at frequent intervals in tlie rear. They first formed a strong 
picket cordon entirely around tlie swamps, and then, drawn 
up in tAVO ordei'S of battle, advanced boldly into the bog by 
two lines of march. One party swept the swamps longitu- 
dinally, the other pushed straight across their smallest 
diameter. 

''A similar march has not been made during the war; 
tlie soldiers were only a few paces apart, and in steady order 
tlu-y took the ground as it came, now plunging to their arm- 
pits in foul sluices of gangrened water, now hopelessly sub- 
merged in slime, now attacked by legions of wood-ticks, now 
tempting some unfaithful log or greenishly solid morass, and 
plunging to the tip of the skull in poisonous stagnation ; the 
tree boughs rent their uniforms ; they came out upon dry 
land many of them without a rag of garment, scratched, and 
gashed, and spent, repugnant to themselves, and disgusting 
to those who saw them ; but not one trace of Booth or Har- 
old was anywhere found. Wherever they might be, the 
swamps did not contain them. 

" While all this was going on, a force started from Point 
Lookout, and swept the narrow necks of St. Mary's quite up 
to Medley's Neck. To complete the search in this part of 
the country, Colonel Wells and Major O'Bierne started, with 
a force of cavalry and infu'itry, for Chappell's Point. They 
took the entire peninsula, as before, and marched in close 
skirmish line across it, but without finding any thing of 
note. The manner of inclosing a house was by cavalry 
advances, which held all the avenues till mounted detectives 
came up. Many strange and ludicrous adventures occurred 
on each of these expeditions. \Vhile the forces were going 
np Cobb's Neck there was a counter force coming down 
fi'om Allen's Fresh. 

" Major O'Bierue started for Leonardstown with his do 
te(!tive force, and played ofl' Laverty as Booth, and Iloey au 
lla)')ld. These two advanced to farm-houses and gave their ' 
assumod names, asking at the same time for assistance and 
shelter. They were generally avoided, except by one man 
named Claggert, who told them they might hide in the woods 
behind his house. When Claggert was arrested, however^ 
he stated that he meant to hide only to give them up. WluM 



114 CTNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

on this adventure, a man who had lieard of the reward came 
very near shooting Laverty. The ruse now became hazard- 
ous, and the detectives resumed their real characters. 

''One ^Mills, a rebel mail-carrier, also arrested, saw Booth 
and Harold lurking along the river bank on Friday; he 
referred Major O'Bierne to one Claggert, a rebel, as having 
seen them also ; but Claggert hekl his tongue and went to 
jail. On Saturday night, Major O'liiernej thus assured, also 
crossed the Potomac with his detectives to Boone's farm, 
where the fugitives had landed. AVhile collecting informa- 
tion here, a gunboat swung up the stream, and threatened to 
open tire on the party. 

" It was now night, and all the party worn to the ground 
with long travel and want of sleep. Lieutenant Laveity'a 
men went a short distance down the country and gave up, 
and Major O'Bierne, with a single man, pushed all night to 
King George's Court-IIouse, and next day, Sunday, re-em- 
barked for Chappell's Point. llence he telegraphed his 
informatixjn, and asked permission to pursue, promising to 
catch the assassins before they reached Port Royal. 

"This the de})artment refused. Colonel Bakei-'s men 
were delegated to make the ])ursuit Avith the able Lieutenant 
l)oherty ; and O'Bierne, who was the most active and suc- 
cessful spirit in the chase, returned to Washington, cheerful 
and contented." 

No lapse of time, nor varied experience, can ever efface 
the memory of the hour at headquarters when the following 
was penned : — 

" The face of Lafayette Baker, Colonel, and Chief of t}ie 
Secret Service, overlooks me. lie has played the most per- 
ilous parts of the war, and is the captor of the late President's 
murderer. The story that 1 am to tell you, as he and hi?' 
trusty dependants tokl it to me, will be a})tly commeiic(^d 
here, where the net was woven which took the dying life of 
Wilkes Booth. 

" \Vlien the murdering occurred, Colonel Baker waa 
absent from Washington. He returned on the third morning 
&nd was at once brought by Secretary Stanton to join the hue 
and cry against the escaped Booth. The sagacious detective 
learned that nearly ten thousand cavalry, and one-fourtli 




*i, ■ 'II V,i 



iiiiii 



"ili^ «liiiiii;i!iMi 



fii 



mjTOllllllllJNjil 

'^li'MiyiH 



"sir 



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PLANNING THE CAPTURE OF BOOTH. 



CAPTURE OF ATZEROXn AND DR. MUDD. 317 

as many policemen, had been meantime scouring, Tvithont 
plan or compass, the whole territory of Southern Maryland. 
Tlipy were treading on each otliers' heels, and mixing up 
the tiling so badly, that the best place for the culprits to 
have gone would have been in the very midst of their pur- 
=iiii'rs. Baker at once possessed himself of the little the War 
I>i']>artmejit had learned, and started immediately to take 
the usual detective measures, till then neglected, of offering 
=1 rt'ward, and getting out photographs of the suspected ones. 
He then dispatched a few chosen detectives to certain vital 
p(jiiits, and awaited results. 

" The first of these was the capture of Atzeroth. Others, 
like the taking of Dr. Mudd, simultaneously occurred. 
But the district suspected being remote froni the railway 
routes, and broken by no telegraph station, the Colonel, to 
place himself nearer the theater of events, ordered an ope- 
rator, with the necessary instrument, to ta]) the wire running 
to Point Lookout, near Chappell's Point, and send him 
prompt messages. 

"The same steamer which took down the operator and 
two detectives, brought back one of the same detectives and 
a negro. This negro, taken to Colonel l>aker's oflice, stated 
so positively that he had seen Booth and another man cross 
the Potomac in a fishing boat, while he was looking down 
upon them from a bank, that the Colonel was at first skep- 
tical ; but, when examined, the n^gro ans\v»Mvd so readily 
and intelligently, recognizing the nian fiom the })hotographs, 
that Baker knew at last that he had the true scent. 

" Straightway he sent to General Hancock for twenty-five 
men, and while the order was going drew down his coast 
survey maps, with that quick detective intuition amounting 
almost to inspiration, lie cast np^n the probable route and 
'Ji'stinatiou of the refugees, as \\*il as the ])oint where he 
would soonest strike them. l)()oth, he knew, would not 
keep along the coast, with freipient deej) rivers to cross, nor, 
indeed, in any direction east of Richmond, where he waa 
liable at any time to cross our lines of occupation ; nor, 
being lame, could he ride on horseback, so as to place him- 
self very far westward of his point of debarkation in Vir- 
ginia. But he would travel in a direct course from Blufif 



318 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

Point, wliere he crossed to Eastern Maryland, and this wonld 
take him through Port Royal, on the Rappahannock River, 
in time to be intercepted by the outgoing cavalrymen. 

*'A\'hen, therefore, twenty-five men, under one Lieuten- 
ant Dogherty, arrived at his office doors, Baker placed the 
whole under control of his former Lieutenant-Colonel, E. J. 
Conger, and of his cousin, Lieutenant L. B. Baker — tlie frst 
of Ohio, the last of New York — and bade them go with all 
dispatch to Belle Plain, on the Lower Potomac, there to dis- 
embark and scour the country faithfully around Port Royal, 
but not to return unless they captured their men. 

"Quitting Washington at two o'clock p. m., on Monday, 
the detectives and cavalrymen disembarked at Belle Plain, 
on the border of Staflford County, at ten o'clock, in the dark- 
ness. Belle Plain is simply the nearest landing to Freder- 
icksburg, seventy miles from Washington City, and located 
upon Potomac Creek. It is a wharf and warehouse merely, 
and here the steamer John S. Ide stopped and made fast, 
while the party galloped off in the darkness. Conger and 
Baker kept ahead, riding up to farm-houses and questioning 
the inmates, pretending to be in search of the Maryland gen- 
tlemen belonging to the pai'ty. But nobody had seen the 
parties described, and after a futile ride on the Fredericks- 
burg road, they turned shortly to the east, and kept up their 
baffled inquiries all the way to Port Conway, on the Rappa- 
hannock. 

"On Tuesday morning they presented themselves at the 
Port Royal Ferry, and inquired of the ferryman, while he 
was taking them over in squads of seven at a time, if he had 
seen any two stu-h men. Continuing their inquiries at Port 
Royal, they found one Rollins, a fisherman, who referred 
them to a negro, named Lucas, as having driven two men a 
short distance toward Bowling Green, in a wagon. It was 
found that these men answered to the description, Booth 
having a crutcli, as previously ascertained. 

"The day before Booth and Harold had applied at Port 
Conway for the general ferry-boat, but the ferryman waa 
then fishing, and would not desist for the inconsiderable fare 
of only two persons ; but to their supposed good fortune a 
lot of Confederate cavalrymen just then came alongj wlio 



A CONFEDERATE CAPTAIN— GARRETT'S. 319 

threatened the ferryman with a shot in the head if he did 
not instantly bring across his craft and transport the entire 
party, Tliese cavalrymen were of Moseby's disbanded com- 
mand, retuniing from Fairfax Court House to their homes in 
Caroline County. Tlieir captain was on his way to visit a 
sweetheart at Bowling Green, and he had so far taken Booth 
under his patronage, that Avlien the latter was haggling wiih 
Lucas for a team, he offered both Booth and Harold the uot- 
of his hoi'se to ride and walk alternately. 

"This is the court house town of Caroline County, a 
small and scattered place, having within it an ancient tavern, 
no longer used for other than lodging purposes; but liere 
they hauled from his bed the captain aforesaid, and bade 
him dress himself. As soon as he comprehended the matter, 
he became pallid, and eagerly narrated the facts in his poi.- 
session. Booth, to his knowledge, was then lying at thi 
house of one Garrett, which they had passed, and Harold 
had departed the existing day with the intention of rejoining 
him. 

"Taking this captain along for a guide, the worn-out 
horsemen retraced tlieir steps, though some were so haggard 
and wasted with travel that they had to be kicked into intel- 
ligence before they could climb to their saddles. The objects 
of the chase thus at hand, the detectives, full of sanguine 
purpose, hurried the cortege so well along, that by two 
o'clock early morning all halted at Garrett's gate. In the 
pale moonlight, three hund.' d yards from the main road, 
to the left, a plain, old fan u house looked grayly through 
the environing locusts. It was worn, and whitewashed, and 
two-storied, and its half-human windows glowered down 
upon the silent cavalrymen like watching owls, which stood 
as sentries over some horrible secret asleep within. 

"Dimly senn behind, an old barn, high and weather 
beaten, faced the roadside gate, for the house itself lay to 
the left of its own lane ; and nestling beneath the barn, a 
few long corn-cribs lay, with a cattle-shed at hand. 

"In the dead stillness. Baker dismounted and forced the 
outer gate. Conger kept close behind him, and the horsemen 
followed cautiously. They made no noise in the soft clay, 
nor broke the all-foreboding silence anywhere, till the second 



320 ITNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

gate swung open gratingly, yet even tlinn nor h« arse noi 
nor Bin-ill response came back, save distant (breaking, as of 
frogs or owls, or the whiz of some passing night-hawk. So 
tliey snrrounded the pleasant old homestead, each horseman, 
carbine in poise, adjusted under the grove of locusts, so as 
to itirlose the dwelling with a circle of fire. After a pause, 
Baker rode to the kitchen door on the side, and dismounting, 
rap})ed and hallooed lustily. An old man, in drawers and 
night-shirt, hastily undrew the bolts, and stood on the 
threshold, peering shiveringly into the darkness. 

"Baker seized him by the throat at once, and held a 
pistol to his ear. 

" 'Who is it that calls me?' cried the old man. 

"'Where are the men who stay with you f challenged 
Baker. ' If you prevaricate, you are a dead man !' 

"The old fellow, who proved to be the head of the 
family, was so overawed and paralyzed that he stammered 
and shook and said not a word. 

" 'Go light a candle,' ci'ied Baker, sternly, 'and be quick 
about it.' 

"The trembling old man obeyed, and in a moment the 
hnpertect rays tiai-ed upon his whitening hairs, and bluishly 
pallid face. Then the question was repeated, backed up by 
the glimmering pistol. ' Where are these men V 

"The old man held to tlu' wall, and his knees smote each 
other. ' They are gone,' he said. ' We haven't got them in 
the house ; I assure you that they are gone.' 

" In the interim Conger had also entered, and while the 
fiousehold and its invaders were thus in weird tableau, a 
young man appeared, as if he had risen from the ground. 
The eyes of everybody turned upon him in a second ; but, 
while he blanched, he did not lose loquacity. ' Father,' he 
said, 'we had better tell the truth about the matter. Tliost 
men whom you seek, gentlemen, are in the barn, I know. 
They went there to sleep.' Leaving one soldier to guard the 
old man— and the soldier was very glad of the job, as it 
relieved him of personal hazard in the approaching combat 
—£.11 the rest, with cocked pistols at the young man's head, 
followed on to the barn. It lay a hundred yards from the 
house, the front barn-door facing the west gable, and was an 



THE BARN— THE PROPOSAL AKD REPLY. 321 

old and spacious structure, Tritli floors only a trifle above the 
p; round level. 

"The troops dismounted, were stationed at regular inter 
vals around it, and ten yards distant at every point, four 
special guards placed to command the door, and all with 
weapons in supple preparation, while Baker and Conger 
went direct to the door. It had a padlock upon it, and the 
key of this Baker secured at once. In the interval of silence 
that ensued, the rustling of planks and straw was heard 
inside, as of persons rising from sleep. 

"At the same moment Baker hailed : — 

" 'To the persons in this barn I have a proposal to make. 
We are about to send in to you the son of the man in whose 
custody you are found. Either surrender to him your arms, 
and then give yourself up, or we'll set fire to the place. We 
mean to take you both, or to have a bonfire and shooting- 
match.' 

" No answer came to this of any kind. The lad, John M. 
Garrett, who was in deadly fear, was here pushed through 
the door by a sudden opening of it, and immediately 
Lieutenant Baker locked the door on the outside. The 
boy was heard to state his appeal in under tones. Booth 
replied : — 

" ' you. Get out of here. You have betrayed me.' 

"At the same time he placed his hand in his pocket, as 
if for a pistol. A remonstrance followed ; but the boy 
slipped on and over the reopened portal, reporting that his 
errand had failed, and that he dare not enter again. All 
this time the candle brought from the house to the barn was 
burning close beside the two detectives, rendering it easy 
for any one within to have shot them dead. This observed, 
the light was cautiously removed, and everybody took care 
to keep out of its reflection. By this time the crisis of the 
position was at hand ; the cavalry exhibited very variable 
inclinations, some to run away, others to shoot Booth with- 
out a summons ; but all excited and fitfully silent. At the 
house near by, the female folks were seen collected in the 
doorway, and the necessities of the case provoked prompt 
conclusions. The boy was placed at a remote point, and the 
summons repeated by Baker : — 

21 



322 UOTTED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

" 'You must surrender inside tliere ! Give up j-our arms 
Rnd appear ; there's no chance for escape. We give you tive 
minutes to make up your mind.' 

"A bold, clarion reply came from within, so strong as to 
be heard at the house door : — 

" ' Who are you, and what do you want with us V 

'* Baker again urged : — 

" 'We want you to deliver up your arms, and become 
our prisoners.' 

" 'But who are you?' hallooed the same strong voice. 

" 'That makes no difference ; we know who 3011 are, and 
we want you. We have here fifty men, armed with carbines 
and pistols. You cannot escape.' 

"There was a long pause, and then Booth said : — 

" 'Captain, this is a hard case, I swear. Perhaps I am 
being taken by my own friends.' 

" No reply from the detectives. 

" ' Well, give us a little time to consider.' 

" 'Very well ; take time.' 

" Here ensued a long and eventful pause. What throng 
ing memories it brought to Booth we can only guess. In 
this little interval he made the resolve to die. But he was 
cool and steady to the end. Baker, after a lapse, hailed ft)r 
the last time : — 

" ' Well, we have waited long enough ; surrender your 
arms and come out, or we'll fire the barn.' 

" Booth answered thus : — 

" 'I am but a cripple— % one-legged man. Withdraw 
your forces one hundre^^ j^ards from the door, and I will 
come. Give me a chance for my life, captain. I will never 
be taken alive 1' 

" ' We did not come here to fight, but to capture you. I 
say again appear, or the barn shall be fired.' 

"Then, with a long breath, which could be heard outside, 
Booth cried, in sudden calmness, still invisible, as were to 
him his enemies : — 

"'Well, then, my brave boys, prepare a stretcher for 
me !' 

"There was a pause repeated, broken by low discussions 
witliin between Booth and his associate, the former saying, 



SURRENDER OF HAROLD— FIRING TUE BARN. 323 

as if in answei to some remonstrance or appeal : " Get away 

from me. You are a coAvard, and mean to leave me in 

my distress ; but go — go ! I don't want you to stay — I won't 
have you stay !' Then be sliouted aloud : — 

" ' There's a man inside who wants to surrender ' 

" ' Let him come, if lie will bring his arms.' 

"Here Harold, rattling at the door, said: 'Let me out; 
open the door ; I want to surrender.' 

" 'Hand out your arms, then.' 

*' ' I have not got any ' 

*' 'You are the man who carried the carbine yesterday; 
bring it out !' 

" ' I haven't got any.' 

"This was said in a whining tone, and with an almost 
risible shiver. Booth cried aloud at this hesitation : — 

" ' He hasn't got any arms ; they are mine, and I have 
kept them.' 

" 'Well, he carried the carbine, and mus^ bring it out.' 

" 'On the word and honor of a gentleman, hb has no arms 
with him. They are mine, and 1 have got them.' 

"At this time Harold was quite up to the door, within 
whispering distance of Baker. The hitter told him to put 
out his hands to be handcuffed, at the same time drawing 
open the door a little distance. Harold thrust forth hia 
hands, when Baker, seizing him, jerked him into the night, 
and straightway delivered him over to a deputation of caval- 
rymen. The fellow began to talk of his innocence, and plead 
so noisily, that Conger threatened to gag him, unless he 
ceased. Then Booth made his last appeal, in the same clear, 
unbroken voice : — 

" 'Captain, give me a chance. Draw off your men, and 
I will fight them singly. I could have killed you six timea 
to-night, but I believe you to be a brave man, and would 
not murder you. Give a lame man a show.' 

" It was too late for parley. All this time Booth's voic« 
bad sounded from the middle of the barn. 

" Ere he ceased speaking. Colonel Conger slipped around 
to the rear, drew some loose straws through a crack, and lit 
a match upon them. They were dry and blazed up in an 
instant, carrying a sheet of smoke and flame through the 



324 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

parted planks, and heaving in a twinkling a world of ligbt 
and heat upon the magazine within. The blaze lit up the 
black recesses of the great barn, till every wasp's nest and 
cobweb in the roof were luminous ; flinging streaks of led 
and violet across the tumbled farm gear in the corner, 
ploughs, harrows, hoes, rakes, sugar-mills, and making 
every separate grain in the high bin adjacent gleam like 
a mote of precious gold. They tinged the beams, the up- y 
right columns, the barricades, where clover and timothy, 
piled high, held toward the hot incendiary their separate 
straws for the funeral pile. They bathed the murderer's 
retreat in a beautiful illumination, and while in bold outline 
his figure stood revealed, they rose like an impenetrable 
wall to guard from sight the hated enemy who lit them. 

*' Behind the blaze, with his eye to a crack, Conger saw 
Wilkes Booth standing upright upon a crutch. He likens 
him at this instant to his brother Edwin, whom, he says, he 
so much resembled that he believed, for the moment, the 
whole pursuit lO have been a mistake. At the gleam of the 
fire, Wilkes dropped his crutch and carbine, and on both 
hands crept to the spot to espy the incendiary and shoot him 
dead. His eyes were lustrous, like fever, and swelled and 
rolled in terrible beauty, while his teeth were fixed, and he 
wore the expression of one in the calmness before frenzy. In 
vain he peered, with vengeance in his look ; the blaze that 
made him visible concealed his enemy. A second he turned 
glaring at the fire, as if to leap upon it and extinguish it, but 
it had made such headway that this was a futile impulse, and 
he dismissed it. As calmly as upon the battle-field a veteran 
stands, amidst the hail of ball, and shell, and plunging iron, 
Booth turned at a man's stride and pushed for the door, car- 
bine in poise, and the last resolve of death, which we name 
despair, sat on his high, bloodless forehead. 

"As so he dashed, intent to expire not unaccompanied, 
h disobedient sergeant, at an eyehole, drew upon him the 
fatal bead. The barn was all glorious with conflagration, 
and in the beautiful ruin this outlawed man strode like all 
that we know of wicked valor, stern in the face of death. A 
shock, a shout, a gathering up of his splendid figure, as if to 
overtip the stature God arave him, and John Wilkes Booth 



LAST WOKDS OF J. W. BOOTH. 325 

fell lieadlong to the floor, lying there in a heap, a little life 
remaining. But no. 

'•'He lias shot himself,' cried Baker, unaware of the 
Bouiue of the report, and rushing in, he grasped his arm, to 
gnard against any feint or strategy. A moment convinced 
him that further strnggle with tlie prone flesh was useh^ss. 
Booth did not move, nor breathe, nor gasp. Conger and llic 
two sergeants now entered, and, talking up tlie body, tli-'V 
bore it in haste from the advancing thime, and laid it without 
upon tlie grass, all fresh with heavenly dew. 

" ' Water,' cried Conger ; ' bring water.' 

' When this was dashed into his face, he revived a 
moment, and stirred his lips. Baker put his ear close down 
and heard him say : — 

" 'Tell mother — and — die — for my country.' 

•'Tliey lifted liim again, the fire encroaching in hotness 
upon them, and placed nim upon the porch before the dwell- 
ing. 

"A mattress was brought down, on which they placed 
him, and propped his head, and gave him water and brandy. 
The women of the household, joined meantime by another 
son, who had been found in one of the corn-cribs, watching, 
as he said, to see that Booth and Harold did not steal the 
horses, were nervous, but prompt to do the dying man all 
kindnesses, although waved sternly back by the detectives. 
They dipped a rag in brandy and water, and this being put 
between Booth's teeth, he sucked it greedily. When he was 
able to articulate again, he muttered to Baker the same 
words, with an addenda : — 

" 'Tell mother I died for my country. I thought I did 
for the best.' 

" Baker repeated this, saying at the same time, ' Booth, 
do I repeat it correctly V Booth nodded his head. 

"By this time the grayness of dawn was approaching; 
moving figures, inquisitively coming near, were to be seen 
distinctly, and the cocks began to crow gutturally, though 
the barn by this time was a hulk of blaze and ashes, sending 
toward the zenith a spiral line of dense smoke. 

"The women became importunate at this rime that the 
troops might be ordered to extinguish the fire, which was 



326 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

spreading toward their precions corn-cribs. Not even deatb 
could banish the call of interest. Soldiers were sent to put 
out the fire, and Booth, relieved of the bustle around him, 
drew near to death apace. Twice he was heard to say, ' Kill 
me — kill me !' His lips often moved, but could complete no 
appreciable sound. He made once a motion, which the quick 
eye of Conger understood to mean that his throat pained him. 
C'onger put his finger there, when the dying man attempted 
to cough, but only caused the blood at his perforated neck 
to fiow more lively. He bled very little, although shot quite 
through, beneath and behind the ears, his collar being sev 
er<3d on both sides. 

"A soldier had been meanwhile dispatched for a doctor, 
but the route and return was quite six miles, and the sinner 
was sinking fast. Still the Avoraen made efforts to get to see 
him, but were always rebuff'ed, and all the brandy they 
could find was demanded by the assassin, who motioned for 
strong drink every two minutes. He made frequent desires 
to be turned over — not by speech, but by gesture — and he 
was alternately placed upon his back, belly, and side. His 
tremendous vitality evidenced itself almost miraculously. 
Now and then his heart would cease to throb, and his pulse 
would be as cold as a dead man's. Directly life would begin 
anew, the face would tlush up eff'ulgently, the eyes open and 
brighten, and soon relapsing, stillness reasserted, would again 
be dispossessed by the same magnificent triumph of man over 
mortality. Finally, the fussy little doctor arrived, iji time to 
be useless. He probed the wound to see if the ball were not 
in it, and shook his head sagely, and talked learnedly. 

"Just at his coming. Booth had asked to have his hands 
raised and shown him. They were so paralyzed that he did 
not know their location. When they were displayed, be 
muttered, with a sad lethargy, 'Useless — useless!' These 
were the last words he ever uttered. 

"As he began to die, the sun rose and threw beams into 
all the tree-tops. It was at a man' s height when the struggle 
of death twitched and lingered in the fading bravo' s face. 
His jaw drew spasmodically and obliquely downward ; his 
eyeballs rolled toward his feet, and began to swell ; livid- 
aess, like a horrible shadow, fastened upon him, and witb 



THE RETUEN TO WASHINGTON. 329 

a sort of gurgle, and sudden check, he stretched his feet, and 
threw his head back, and gave up the ghost. 

"They sewed him up in a saddle-blanket. This was hia 
shroud; too like a soldier's. Harold, meantime, had been 
tied to a tree, but was now released for the march. Colonel 
Conger pushed on immediately for Washington ; the cortege 
was to follow. Booth's only arms were his carbine, knife, 
and two revolvers. They found about him bills of exchange, 
Canada money, and a diary. A venerable old negro living 
in the vicinity had the misfortune to possess a horse. This 
horse was the relio of former generations, and showed by hid 
protruding ribs the general leanness of the land. He moved 
in an eccentric amble, and when put upon his speed was 
generally run backward. To this old negro's horse was 
harnessed a very shaky and absurd wagon, which rattled 
like approaching dissolution, and each part of it ran without 
any connection or correspondence with any other part. It 
had no tail-board, and its shafts were sharp as famine ; and 
into this mimicry of a vehicle the murderer was to be sent 
to the Potomac River, while the man he had murdered was 
moving in state across the mourning continent. The old 
negro geared up his wagon by means of a set of fossil har- 
ness, and when it was backed to Garrett's porch, they hud 
within it the discolored corpse. The corpse was tied with 
ropes around the legs, and made fast to the wagon side. 

"Harold's legs were tied to stirrups, and he was placed 
in the centre of four murderous-looking cavalrymen. The 
two sons of Garrett were also taken along, despite the sobs 
and petitions of the old folks and Avomen, but the rebel ca])- 
tain who had given Booth a lift got off amid the night's 
agitations, and was not rearrested. So moved the cavalcade 
of retribution, with death in its midst, along the road to Port 
Royal. When the wagon started. Booth's wound, now 
scarcely dribbling, began to run anew. It fell through the 
crack of the Avagon, and fell dripping upon the axle, and 
spotting the road with terrible wafers. It stained the planks 
and soaked the blankets ; and the old negro, at a stoppage, 
dabbled his hands in it by mistake ; he drew back instantly, 
with a shudder and stilled expletive, ' Gor-r-r, dat '11 never 
oome oir in de world ; it' s murderer' s blood.' He wrung hi8 



330 rmiTED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

hands, and looked iniploringly at the officers, and shuddered 
again; ' Gor-r-r, I wouldn't have dat on me for tousand 
tousand dollars.' 

"The progress of the team was slow, with frequent dan- 
ger of shipwreck altogether, but toward noon the cortege 
filed through Port Royal, where the citizens came out to ask 
the matter, and why a man's body, covered with sombre 
blankets, was going by with so great escort. They w<'rp 
told tliat it was a wounded Confederate, and so held their 
tongues. The little ferry, again in requisition, took them 
uver by squads, and they pushed from Port Conway to Belle 
Plain, which they reached in the middle of the afternoon. 
All the way the blood dribbled from the corj)se in a slow, 
jjH'essant, sanguine exudation. The old negi-o was niggardly 
dismissed with two paper dollars. The dead man untied 
and cast upon the vessel's deck, steam gotten up in a little 
while, and the broad Potomac shores saw this skeleton ship 
flit by, as the bloody sun threw gashes and blots of un- 
healthy light along the silver surface, 

"All tlie way associate with the carcass went Harold, 
shuddering in so grim companionship, and in the awakened 
fears of his own approaching ordeal, beyond which it loomed 
already, the gossamer fabric of a scaflbld. lie tried to talk 
for his own exoneration, saying he had ridden as was hia 
wont, beyond the East Branch, and returning found Booth 
wouiided, who begged him to be his com])anion. Of hia 
crime he knew nothing, so help him (jrod, &c. But nobody 
listened to him. All interest of crime, courage, and retribu- 
tion centered in the dead flesh at his feet. At Washingtcin, 
high and low turned out to look on Booth. Only a feAv 
were permitted to see liis corpse for purjDOses of recognitiuu 
It was fairly preserved, thougli on one side of the face (lis 
lorted, and looking blue like death, and wildly bandit-like, 
as if beaten by avenging winds. 

" F'inally, the Secretary of War, without instructions of 
any kind, committed to Colonel Lafayette C. Baker, of the 
Secret Service, the stark corpse of J. Wilkes Booth. The 
Secret Service never fulfilled its vocation more secretly. 
'What have you done with the body?' said I to Baker. 
That is known, he answered, 'to only one man living 



BURIAL OF BOOTH. 331 

beside myself. It is gone ; I will not tell you where ; the 
only man who knows is sworn to sUence ; never till the great 
tnimpefpr comes sliall the grave of Booth he discovered.' 
And this is true. Last night, the 27th of April, a small row- 
bont received the carcass of the murderer ; two men were in 
it ; tliey carriad the body off into the darkness, and out of 
that darkness it will never return ; in the darkness, like lii? 
great crime, may it remain forever ; impassable, invisible, 
nondescript, condemned to that worse than damnation — anni- 
Lihition. 

"The river bottom may ooze about it, laden with great 
shot and drowning manacles. The earth may have opened 
to give it that silence and forgiveness which man will never 
give to its memory. The fishes may swim around it, or the 
daisies grow white above it ; but we shall never know. 
Mysteiious, incomprehensible, unattainable, like the dim 
times througii which we live, we think upon it as if we only 
dreamed in a peiturbed fever; the assassin of a nation's 
head rests somewhere in the elements, and that is all ; but if 
tlie indignant seas or the profaned turf shall ever vomit this 
corjise from tlieir recesses, and it receives Cliristian burial 
from some one who does not recognize it, let the last words 
those decaying li])s ever uttered be carved above them with 
a dagger, to tell the history of a young, and once promising 
life.'' 

It is not improper to state, that only two persons on earth 
know where the body of Booth lies. Lieutenant Baker, on 
wMiose laj) his dying heud was laid, and myself, have the 
dari< secret to keep, 'i'he night before the removal of the 
remains I was ordered, by the Secretary of War, to have 
them securely guarded, that no one might touch them ; aa 
" every liair of his head would be a valued relic to the sym- 
pathizers with the South in Washington," I had not had 
my clothes off for nearly two weeks, and was granted leave 
of absence from the vessel, on whose deck was lying the 
corpse of the assassin, covered witli two blankets sewed 
together like a sack, completely concealing it. Upon my 
return, I was greatly surprised and indignant, to find per- 
sons of high position, and some of secession proclivities, 
around the dead body, the coarse shroud parted at the seam, 



332 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

and a lady at that moment cutting off a lock of the black, 
cnrled, and beautiful hair. I seized the fair hands, and, 
after a refusal to give me the relic, forcibly took it, and then 
cleared the deck, to the amazement and displeasure of some 
of the party. 

At noon of that night, with my trusty lieutenant, a man 
of thoroughly Christian principles, I placed the l)ody in a 
small boat, and we rowed away from the silent leviathan of 
Mars, which had borne the loathsome body to the nation' a 
capital ; with no watchful eye u2:)on us, but that of Ilim who 
scattered above us the shining stars. It was a strange, wild 
hour on the calm Potomac ; and yet, so great was my ex- 
haustion and fatigue, that I fell to dozing with the oar in my 
hand, and the sack containing the assassin's corpse at my 
feet. Further I cannot go — it is best to let the curtain of un- 
broken secrecy and mystery remain between the burial and 
all human curiosity. 

The diary kept by Booth after the murder of the Presi- 
dent, to which I referred in connection with the giving of the 
personal effects of Booth to the Secretaiy of War, recorded 
the adventures of the fugitive ; one of these was the killing 
of his horse in the tangled forest to avoid detection, and then 
sleeping between the animal's legs to get the warmth Avhile 
it remained in the dead body, during the long hours of the 
horrible night. With the dawn, he dragged his own painful 
limbs along his untrodden path of flight from the apparently 
slow, but certain, grasp of avenging justice. 

"On the 9tli of July, 1865, at as early an hour as eight 
A M.," says an eye-witness, "people commenced to went their 
way down to the prison, and the boats to Alexandria, which 
.•an close by the jail, were crowded all day by those who 
took the trip in hopes of catching a glimpse of the gallows, 
or of the execution, but it was all in vain. The only position 
outside of the jail that could be used as an observatory, was 
the large building upon the left side of the arsenal, which 
had about fifty spectators upon it, who had a good view of 
the whole. 

"Btitween nine and ten o'clock in the morning the three 
ante-rooms of the prison, on the first floor, were thronged 
with army officers, principally of Hancock's corps, anxious 



I 




SECRET BURIAL OF BOOTH. 



THE EXECUTION". 3;i5 

to get a vieTV of the execution from the windows, from which 
.ne scaffold could be plainly seen. The newspaper reporters 
cjoon l^egan to congregate there also, and in a few minutes 
not less than a score wer^i in attendance, waiting to })ick up 
tiie smallest item of interest. No newspaper man was allowt^l 
to see the prisoners in their cells before they were led r)ut to 
ex<M'ution, and General Ilartranft was very decided on thi.« 
point. 

" While waiting here for over two hours, the clHrgymt^n 
passed in and out through the heavily riveted door leading 
to the prisoners' cells, wliicli creaked heavily on its hinges 
as it swung to and fro, and the massive key was turned upon 
the inner side with a heavy sound as a visitor was admitted 
within its portals. 

" Mrs. Surratt's daughter passed into the ante-room, 
accompanied by a lady, who remained seated, while the 
daughter rapidly entered the hall, and, passing through the 
heavy door, is soon in the corridor where her mother is 
incarcerated. 

"Messrs. Cox, Doster, Aiken, and Clampitt, counsel for 
the prisoners, are specially passed in for a short interview, 
and in a few minutes they return again to the ante-rooms. 
Time flies rapidly, and not a moment is to be lost. No use- 
less words are to be spoken, but earnest terse sentences are 
from necessity emploj'ed when conversing with the doomed 
prisoners, whose lives are tp'W measured by minutes. 

"Aiken and Clam})itt lUt- both here. They walk impa- 
tiently up and down the room, whispering a word to each 
other as to the prospect of Mrs. Surratt's being reprieved 
through the operations of the habeas cor])us, which, Aiken 
confidently tells us, has been granted by Justice Wylie, and 
from which he anticipates favorable results. Strange infatu 
ation ! It was the last straw to which, like drowning mnn, 
they clutched with the fond hope that it was to rescue their 
client from her imminent peril. 

"Atzeroth passed the night previous to the execution 
without any particular manifestations. He prayed and cried 
alternately, but made no other noise that attracted the 
attention of his keeper. On the morning of the execution 



336 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVIOB. 

he sat most of the time on the floor of his cell in his shirt 

sleeves. 

" He was attended by a lady dressed in deep black, who 
carried a prayer-book, and who seemed more exercised in 
spirit than the prisoner himself. Who the hady was conld 
not be ascertained. She left him at half-past twelve o'clock, 
afid exliibited great emotion at parting. 

"During the afternoon Atzeroth was greatly composed, 
and spent i)art of the time in earnest conversation with his 
spiritual adviser, Rev. Mr. Butler, of St. Paul's Lutlieran 
Church, Washington. He occupied cell No. 151 on the 
ground iloor, which was directly in view of the yard, where 
he could see the gathering crowd and soldiery, although he 
could not see the scaffold. lie sat in the corner of his cell 
on his bed, and when his spiritual adviser would go out for 
a few minutes and leave his Testament in his hands, his eyea 
would be dropped to it in a moment, and occasionally wan- 
der with a wild look toward the open window in front of his 
cell. 

" He wore nothing but a white linen shirt and a gray pair 
of pants. The long irons upon his hands, which he had 
worn during the trial, were not removed. 

"Atzeroth made a partial confession to the Rev. Mr 
Butler, a few hours before his execution. He stated that h« 
took a room at the Kirkwood House on Thursday afternoon, 
and was engaged in endeavoring to get a })ass to Richmond. 
He then heard the Presid'Ht w.is to be taken to the theater 
and there to be captured. He said he understood that Booth 
was to rent the theater for the purpose of carrying out the 
plot to capture the President. He stated that Harold brought 
the j)iitol and knife to the Kirkwood House, and that he 
(Atzeroth) had nothing to do with the attempted assassination 
of Andrew Johnson. 

" Booth intended that Harold should assassinate Johnson, 
and he wanted him (Atzeroth) to back him up and give him 
courage. Booth thought that Harold had more pluck than 
Atzeroth. 

"He alluded to the meeting at the restaurant about the 
jaiddJe of March He said Booth, Harold, Payne, Arnold, 



THE EXECUTION. 337 

and liimself were })resent, and it was then roncorted that Mr. 
Lincoln should be captured and taken to Richmond. 

"They heard that Lincoln was to visit a camp neai 
Washington, and the plan was that they should j)ioce('d 
there and cajiture the coach and horses containing Lincoln, 
and run him through Prince George' County and Old Fields 
to G. ]]. There they were to leave the coach and lioiscp 
and ])1ace the President in a buggy which IL-irold w(juI(1 
Have on hand, and thus convey him to a boat to be in readi- 
ness, and run him by some means to Richmond. He denit^e 
tliat he was in favor of assassinating Lincoln, but was willing 
to assist in his ca})ture. 

"He stated, however, tliat he knew Lincoln w;v •'' be 
assassinated about half-past eight o'clock on the e^^.-ning of 
the occurrence, but was afraid to make it k':ov,-n, as he 
feared Booth would kill him if he did so. 

"He said that slavery caused his sympnthies to be with 
the South. He had heard a sermon preached which stated 
tliat a curse on the negro race had turned them black. He 
always hated the negroes, and thought they should be kept 
in ignorance. 

"Booth had promised him that if their plan succeeded for 
the capture of Lincoln they should all be rich men, and they 
would become great. The prisoners would all be exchanged, 
and the independence of the South would be recognized, and 
their cause be triumphant. He had never received any 
money as yet. 

"The crowd increases. Reporters are scribbling indus- 
triously. A suppressed whisper is audible all over the room 
and the hall as the hour draws nearer, and the pivparat'ons 
begin to be more demonstrative. 

"The rumbling sound of the trap, as it falls in the course 
of the experiments which are being made to test it, and to 
prevent any unfortunate accident occurring at the critical 
moment, is heard through the windows, and all eyes are 
involuntarily turned in that direction, for curiosity is excdted 
to the highest pitch to view the operations of the fatal ma- 
chinery . There are two or three pictorial papers represent- 
jd. One cahnly makes a drawing of the scaffold for the 

2i 



338 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

next issue of bis paper, and tlms the hours till noon passed 

"The bustle increases. Officers are running to and fro, 
calling for orderlies and giving orders. General Ilartranft 
is trying to answer twenty questions at once from as many 
different persons. The sentry in the hall is becoming angry 
because the crowd will keep intruding on his beat, when 
suddenly a buggy at the door announces the arrival of Gen- 
eral Hancock. 

"He enters the room hurriedly, takes General Hartranft 
aside, and a few words pass between them in a low tone, to 
which Hartranft nods acquiescence ; then, in a louder voice, 
Hancock says : ' Get ready. General ; I want to have every 
thing put in readiness as soon as possible.' This was the 
signal for the interviews of the clergymen, relatives, and 
friends of the prisoners to cease, and for the doomed to pre- 
pare for execution. 

"The bustle increases, ^fr. Aiken approaches General 
Hancock, and a few minutes' conversation passes between 
them. Aiken's countenance changes perceptibly at General 
Hancock's words. The reason is plain ; there is no hope for 
Mrs. Surratt. The habeas corpus movement, from which he 
expected so much, has failed ; and Aiken, in a voice tremu- 
lous with emotion, said to me : 'Mrs. Surratt will be hung.' 

"The bright hopes he had cherished had all vanished, 
and the dreadful truth stood before him in all its horror 
Clampitt, too, till General Hancock arrived, indulged in the 
hope that the habeas corpus would effect a respite for three 
or four da^^s. 

"Three or four of Harold's sisters, all in one chorus of 
weeping, come through the prison -door into the hall. They 
had left their brother and spoken fr^ ^im the last words, and 
beard his voice for the last time. 

"At fifteen minutes after one o'clock. General Hartranft 
blandly informs the 'press gang' to be in readiness for the 
prison-doors to be opened, when the}'- can pass into the prison- 
yard, from whence a good view of tlie procession can be ob- 
tained as it passes by to tlie scaffold. About 11a. m., tlie 
prison-yard was thrown o]ien to those having passes, and 
about fifty entered. The first obVct in view was the scaffold. 



THE EXECUTION. 3^9 

whicii was erected at the northeast corner of the peniten- 
tiary yard, and consisted of a simple wooden structure, of 
very primitive appearance, faced about due west. The 
platform was elevated about twelve feet from the ground, 
and was about twenty feet square. Attached to the main 
platlorm were the drops, &c., two in number, on wliich the 
criminals stood. At the moment of execution, these drops 
tvere connected with the main platform, by means of large 
hinges, four to each drop. 

"Ttie drops were supported by a post, which rested on a 
heavy piece of timber placed on the ground, and so arranged 
that two soldiers stationed at the rear of the scaffold instan- 
taneously detached the two supports from their positions by 
means of pressing two poles, which occupied a horizontal 
position, the action of which dislodged the props of the scaf- 
fold and permitted the drops to fiiU. 

"The gallows proper was divided into two parts by 
means of a perpendicular piece of timber, resting on the 
platform, and reaching up to the cross-beam of the gallows. 
Two ropes hung on either side of the piece of timber men- 
tioned. The}^ were wound around the cross-beam, and con- 
tained large knots and nooses at the lower end. The platform 
was ascended by means of a flight of steps, thirteen in num- 
ber, erected at the rear of the scaffold, and guarded on either 
side by a railing, which also extended around the platform. 
The platform was sustained by nine heavy uprights, about 
which rose the two heavy pieces of timber which supported 
the cross-beam and constituted the gallows. The entire 
platform was capable of holding conveniently about thirty 
people, and was about half full at the time of the execution. 

"The executioners were all fine stalwart specimens of 
Union soldiers, and did their work well. The rope was fur- 
nished from the navy yard, and was one and a half inches in 
circumference, and composed of twenty strands. 

"The graves were dug close to the scaffold, and next to 
the prison wall. They were four in number, and were about 
three feet and a half deep, in a dry, clayey soil, and about 
seven feet long and three wide. Four pine boxes, similar to 
those used for packing guns in, stood between the gra\'es 
and the scaffold. These were for coffins, both being in ''♦ill 



3-40 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

view of the prisoners as they emerged from tlieir cells, and 
before tiiera until they commenced the dreadful ascent of 
those thirteen steps. 

"About a thousand soldiers were in the yard and ujion 
the hi<^h wall around it, which is wide enough for sentries to 
patrol it. The sun's rays made it very oppressive, and the 
walls kept off the little breeze that was stirring. There was 
no shade, and men huddled together along the walls ai.-d 
around the pump to discuss with one another the ])ros]iei 1 
of a reprieve or delay for Mrs. Surratt. But few lioji^d fur 
it, though some were induced by Mrs. Surratt' s council to 
believe she would not be hanged to-day. When cne of them 
came out and saw the four ropes hanging from the beam, he 
exclaimed to one of the soldiers : ' My God ! th^y are not 
going to hang all four, are they V 

"But there are times when it is mercy to hang criminals, 
and that time was drawing nigh, it seemed, for those who 
have been used for years to apologizing for the Rebellion, 
and its damning acts, to be brought to believe that any crime 
is to be punished. Of such material were the prisoner's 
counsel. 

"The drops, at 11:30, are tried with three hundred pound 
weights upon them, to see if they will work. One falls all 
right ; one hangs part way down, and the hatchet and saw 
were brought into play. The next time they were all right. 
The rnttle echoes around the walls ; it reaches the prisoners' 
cells close by, and penetrates their inmost recesses. All is 
quiet in the yard, save the scuffle of the military, and the 
passing to and fro of a few civilians. 

" At 12:40, four arm-chairs are brought out and pi. iced 
upon the scaffold, and the moving around of General Ilai t 
ranft indicates the drawing near of the time. The ne^vs 
paper correspondents and reporters are admitted to a positioL 
about thirty feet from the gallows, and about one o'clock and 
ten minutes, the heavy door in front of the cells is swuno 
upon its hinges for the hundredth time within an hour, and 
a few reporters, with General Hancock, pass in and through 
to the yard, and the big door closes with a slam behind them. 
All take positions to get a good view. General Hancock for 
the last tune takes a survey of the preparations, and being 



THE E3.£0UTION 341 

satisfied that every thing is ready, he re-enters the prison 
building, and in a few minutes the solemn procession marched 
down the steps of the back door and into the yard. 

"Mrs. Surratt cast her eyes upward upon the scaffold, 
for a few moments, witli a look of cariosity, combined with 
dread. One glimpse, and her eyes fell to the ground, and 
she walked along mechanically, her head drooj)ing, and if 
she had not been supported would liave fallen. 

"She ascended the scaffold, and was led to an arm-chair, 
in which she was seated. An umbrella was held over lier 
by the two holy fathers, to protect her from the sun, whose 
rays shot down like the blasts from a fiery furnace. She ^vas 
attired in a black bombazine dress, black alpaca bonnet, with 
black veil, which she wore over her face till she was seated 
on the chair. During the reading of the order for the execu- 
tion, by General Hartranft, the priests held a small crucifix 
before her, which she kissed fervently several times. 

"She first looked around at the scene before her, then 
closed her eyes and seemed engaged in silent praj'er. The 
reading and the announcement of the clergymen in behalf 
ji the other prisoners having been made. Colonel McCall, 
assisted by the other officers, proceeded to remove her bon- 
net, pinion her elbows, and tie strips of cotton stufl' around 
her dress below the knees. This done, the rope was placed 
around her neck and her face covered with a white cap 
reaching down to the shoulders. 

" When they were pinioning her arms, she turned her 
head, and made some remarks to the officers in a low tone, 
which could not be heard. It appeared they had tied her 
elbows too tight, for they slackened the bandage slightly, 
and then awaited the final order. All the prisoners were 
pr»'}>ared thus at the same time, and the preparations of eacli 
were completed at about the same moment, so that when 
Mrs. Surratt was thus pinioned, she stood scarcely ten sec- 
onds, supported by those standing near her, when General 
llartranlt gave the signal, by clapping his hands twice, for 
botli drops to fall, and as soon as the second and last signal 
was given, both fell, and Mrs. Surratt, with a jerk, fell to 
the full length of the rope. She was leaning over when the 
drop ftill, and this gave a swinging motion to her body, 



342 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

whicli lasted several minutes before it assumed a perpend icn 
lar position. Her death was instantaneous; slie died with- 
out a struggle. The only muscular movement discernible 
was a slight contraction of the left arm, which she seemed to 
try to disengage from behind her as the drop fell. 

"After being suspended thirty minutes, she was cut 
down, and placed in a square wooden box or coffin, in the 
clothes in whicli she died, and was interred in the prison 
yard. The rope made a clean cut around her neck, fully an 
inch in diameter, which was black and discolored with 
bruised blood. The cap was not taken off her face, and she 
was laid in the coffin with it on, and thus has passed away 
from the face of the earth Mary E. Surratt. Her body, it is 
understood, will be given to her family for burial. 

" Payne died as he has lived, at least as he has done since 
his arrest, bold, calm, and thoroughly composed. Tlie only 
tremor exhibited b}'" this extraordinary man during the terii- 
ble ordeal of the execution was an involuntary vibration of 
the muscles of his legs after the fatal drop fell. He was next 
in order to Mrs. Surratt in the procession of the 3riminals 
from their cells to the place of execution. 

" He was supported on one side by his spiritual adviser, 
and on the other by a soldier, although he needed no such 
assistance, for he walked erect and upright, and retained the 
peculiar piercing expression of the eye that has ever charac- 
terized him. He was dressed in a blue flannel shirt, and 
pants of the same material. His brawny neck was entirely 
exposed, and he wore a neAv straw hat. He ascended the 
steps leading to the scaffold with the greatest ease, and took 
his seat on the drop with as much sang froid as though he 
was sitting down to dinner. 

" Once or twice he addressed a few words in an undertone 
to persons close by him, and occasionally glanced at the 
array of soldiers and civilians spread out before him. A 
puff of wind blew off his hat, and he instantly turned around 
to see where it went to. When it was recovered and handed 
to him, he intimated by gesturing that he no longer required 
U, and it was laid aside. 

'* During the reading of the sentence by General Hartranfl, 
JQsi previous to the execution, he calmly listened, and once 



THE EXECUTION. 34a 

or twice glanced upward at the gallows, as if inspecting it.s 
construction. He submitted to tlie pi-ocess of bijiding iiis 
limbs very quietly, and watched tlie operation witli attention. 

"His spiritual adviser, Rev. Dr. Gillette, advanced, a 
few minutes previous to the execution, and made some 
remarks in Payne's behalf. He thanked the different officials 
for the attention and kindness bestowed on Payne, and 
exhorted the criminal in a few impassioned words to give liis 
entire thoughts to his future state. Payne stood immovable 
as a statue when the drop fell. Although next to Harold, 
who died the hardest, he exhibited more bodily contortions 
than the others while suspended. AVhile the noose was 
being adjusted to his neck, Paj-ne raised his head, and 
evidently desired to assist the executioner in that delicate 
operation. 

"Probably no one of the criminals felt as great a dread 
of the terrible ordeal through which they were to pass as 
young Harold. From the time he left his cell until his soul 
was sent into the presence of the Almighty, he exhibited the 
greatest emotion, and seemed to thoroughly realize his 
wretched condition. His face wore an indelinable expression 
of anguish, and at times he trembled violently. He seemed 
to desire to engage in conversation with those around liim 
while sitting in the cliair awaiting execution, and his sj)ii'ituai 
adviser. Rev. Mr. Old, was assiduous in his attentions to the 
wretched man. 

" Harold was dressed in a black cloth coat and light pants, 
and wore a white shii-t without any collar; he wore also a 
black slouch hat, which he retaiued on his head until it wai^ 
removed to make room for the white cap. At times he looked 
wildly around, and his face had a haggard, anxious, inquir- 
irg expression. When the drop fell, he exhibited more 
tenacity of life than any of the others, and he endeavored 
several times to draw himself up as if for the purpose of 
relieving himself from the rope by which he was suspende(L 

"Atzeroth ascended the steps of the scaffold without 
difficulty, and took his seat at the south end of the diojt 
without exhibiting any particular emotion. He was dressed 
in a dark gray coat and pantsjand black vest and white linen 
shirt, Tfithout any collar ; on his feet he wore a pair of 



.344 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

'Woolen slippers and socks. He sat in such a position that he 
■could see the profile? of his fellow-prisoners, and he had his 
hands pinioned behind him. lie wore no hat, had a white 
handkerchief placed over his head with a tuft of hair protrud- 
ing from it and spreading over his forehead. 

" Directly behind him stood his spiritual adviser, who held 
:an umbrella over him to keep off the burning rays of the sun. 
During the reading of the sentence by General Hartranft, he 
kept perfectly quiet, but his face wore an expression of un- 
utterable woe, and he listened attentively. He wore a thin 
moustache and small goatee, and his face was pale and sallow. 
Once, and once only, he glanced arouiid at the assembled 
'throng, and occassionally muttered incoherent sentences, but 
he talked, while on the scaffold, to no one immediately around 
;him. 

"Just before his execution, his spiritual adviser, Mr. But- 
ler, advanced and stated that Atzeroth desired to return his 
•sincere thanks to General Hartranft and the other oflficials for 
their many acts of kindness extended toward him. Ho then 
called on God to forgive George Atzeroth, reminded him that 
while the wages of sin were death, that whomsoever placed 
■;their hope in the Lord Jesus Clirist were not forgotten. He 
hoped that God would grant liini a full and free forgiveness, 
and ended hy saying : ' May the Lord God have mercy on 
you, and grant you his peace,' 

''The handkerchief was then taken from his head, and he 
stood up, facing the assembled audience, directly alongside 
of the instrument of his death. His knees slightly trembled, 
and his legs were bent forward. He stood for a few momenta 
the very embodiment of wretchedness, and then spoUe a few 
words in an undertone to General Hartranft, after wliich Iip 
shook hands with his spiritual adviser and a few others n<'.ii 
him ; while he was being secured with bands, tied around 
hid legs and arms, he kept muttering to himself, as if engaged 
in silent prayer. 

" Suddenly he broke forthwith the words, 'Gentlemen, 
beware who yon — ' and then stopped, as if with emotion ; as 
the white cap was being placed over his head he said, ' Good- 
by®> gentlemen ; may we all meet in the other world. God 



THE EXECUTION. 345 

take rae now.' He muttered something loud enough for 
tliose close by him to hear, just as the drop fell, evidently 
not anticipating such an event at tliat moment. He died 
without ap])arent pain, and his neck must have been in- 
stantly broken. 

"After hanging a few seconds, his stomach heaved con 
piih^ably, and subsequently his legs quivered a little. His 
th'atli appeared to be the easiest of any of the criminals, with 
(he exception of Mrs. Surratt, who did not apparently suffer 
at all. After hanging half an hour, Atzeroth's body was 
taken down, it being the first one lowered, and an examina- 
tion made by Surgeons Otis, Woodward, and Porter. 

"About half-past eight o'clock this morning, Miss Sur 
ratt, accompanied by a female friend, again visited the White 
House, having been there last evening for the purpose of 
obtaining an interview with the President. President John- 
son having given orders that he would receive no one to-day, 
the door-keeper stopped Miss Sv^rratt at the foot of the steps 
leading up to the President's office, and would not permit 
her to proceed further. She then asked permission to see 
General Mussey, the President's Military Secretary, who 
promptly answered the sunmions, and came down stairs 
where Miss Surratt was standing. 

" As soon as the General made his appearance, Miss Sur- 
ratt threw herself upon her knees before him, catching him 
by the coat, with loud sobs and streaming eyes, imploreci 
liim to assist her in obtaining a hearing with the President. 

"General Mussey, in as tender a manner as possible, 
inforaied Miss Surratt that he could not comply with her 
request, as President Johnson's orders were imperative, and 
he would receive no one. 

" Upon General Mussey' s returning to his office, Miss 
Surratt threw herself upon the stair steps, where she re- 
mained a considerable length of time, sobbing aloud in the 
gi'catest anguish, protesting her mother's innocence, and 
imploring every one who came near her to intercede in her 
mother's behalf. While thus weeping, she declared her 
mother was too good and kind to be guilty of the enormous 
'^rime of which she was convicted, and asserted that if her 
mother was put to death she wished to die also 



■j}<5 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

"The scene was heart-rending, and many of those who 
witnessed it, including a number of hardy soldiers, were 
moved to tears. Miss Surratt, having become quiet, was 
linally persuaded to tal^e a seat in the East Room, and here 
she I'eniained for st^veral hours, jumping up from her seat 
eacli time the front door of the mansion was opened, evident 
ly in hopes cf seeing some one enter who could be of service 
to her in obtaining the desired interview with the President, 
or that tlie}^ were the bearei's of good news to her. 

"Two of Harold's sisters, dressed in full mourning and 
heavily veiled, made their appearance at the White House 
shortly after Miss Surratt, for the purpose of interceding 
with the President in behalf of their brother. Failing to see 
the l*resident, they addressed a note to Mrs. Johnson, and 
expressed a hope that she would not turn a deaf ear to their 
pleadings. Mrs. Johnson being quite sick, it was thought 
expedient by the ushers not to deliver the note, when, as a 
last expedient, the ladies asked permission to forward a note 
to Mrs. Patterson, the President's daughter, which privilege 
was not granted, as Mrs. Patterson was also quite indis- 
posed. 

"Payne, during the night, slept well for about three 
hours, tlie other portion of the night being spent in conver- 
sation with Rev. Dr. Gillette, of the First Baptist Churchy 
who offered his services as soon as he was informed of the 
sentence. Payne, without showing any particular emotion, 
paid close attention to the advice of Dr. Gillette. Up to ten 
o'clock this morning, no relations or friends had been to see 
Payne. 

"Atzeroth was very nervous throughout the night, and 
did not sleep, although he made several attempts. His 
brother was to see him yesterday afternoon, and again thi:^ 
morning. Ilis aged mother, who arrived during the niglit, 
was also present. The meeting of the condemned man and 
his mother was very affecting, and moved some of the 
ofiicers of the prison, who have become used tc trying 
scenes, to tears. 

"Rev. Dr. Butler, of the Lutheran Church, was sent for 
last night, and has been all night ministering to Atzeroth. 
Harold was visited yesterday by Rev. Mr. Olds, of Chrisi 




EXECUTION OF THE ASSASSINS. 



THE EXECUTION. 349 

Episcopal Church, and five of his sisters, and this morning 
the minister and the entire family of seven sisters were pres 
ent with him. Harold slept very well several hours during 
the nighV 

"Miss Surratt was with her mother several hours last 
night, as also Rev. Fathers Wiget and Walter, and Mr, Bro- 
pliy, who were also present this morning. She slept very 
little, if any, and required considerable attention, suffering 
with cramps and pains the entire night, caused by her ner- 
vousness. The breakfast was sent to the prisoners at tlie 
usual hour this morning, but none eat, excepting Payne, 
who ate heartily. 

"About three thousand troops were employed in guard- 
ing the building and its surroundings. 

"The execution ground was a large square inclosure, 
called the Old Penitentiary jail yard, directly south of the 
Old Penitentiary building. It comprises probably tbree 
acres of ground, surrounded by a brick wall, about twenty 
feet in height. 

"This wall is capped with white stone and surmounted 
with iron stakes and ropes, to prevent the guard from falling 
off while patrolling the tops of the wall. The Sixth Regi- 
ment Veteran Volunteers were formed on the summit of tlie 
wall during the execution, and they presented quite a pic- 
turesque appearance in their elevated position. 

" The gallows occupied a position in the angle of the in- 
closure formed by the east wall and the Penitentiary build- 
ing on the north. The First Regiment Veteran Volunteers 
were posted around the gallows, two sides being formed by 
the east wall and the Penitentiary building. 

"The spectators, about two hundred in number, were 
congregated directly in fiont of the gallows, the soldiers 
foiming a barrier between them and the place of execution. 
The criminals were led to the scaffold from a small door 
about one hundred feet from the place of execution. But 
for a small projection that runs south of the Penitentiary 
building, the gallows would be in plain view of the prison- 
ers' cells, which are all on the first floor of the building. 

"It was a noticeable incident of the execution that scarce- 
ly any Government officials or citizens were present, the 



350 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

spectators being nearly all connected with the trial in som«^ 
capacity, or else representatives of the press. 

"By permission of the authorities, tlie daughter of Mrs. 
Surratt passed the night previous to the execution uMth her 
mother, in her cell. The entire interview was of a very 
affecting character. The daughter remained with her niotliei 
until a short time before the execution, and when the time 
(!ame for separation the screams of anguish that burst fiuui 
the poor girl could be distinctly heard all over the execution 
ground. 

" During the morning the daughter proceeded to tlio 
Rfetropolitan Hotel, and sought an interview with General 
Hancock. Finding him, she implored him in pitiable accents 
to get a reprieve for her mother. The general, of course, 
had no power to grant or obtain such a favor, and so in- 
formed the distressed girl, in as gentle a manner as possible. 

"General Hancock, with the kindness that always char- 
acterizes his actions apart from the stern duties of his noble 
profi^ssion, did his best to assuage the mental anguish of the 
giief-stricken girl. 

"The alleged important after-discovered testimony which 
Aiken, counsel for Mrs. Surratt, stated would prove her 
innocence, was submitted to Judge Advocate-General Holt, 
and, after a careful examination, he failed to discover any 
thing in it having a bearing on the case. This was commu- 
nicated to the President, and doubtless induced him to 
decline to interfere in the execution of Mrs. Surratt. 

"Tlie residence of Mrs. Surratt, on H Street, north, near 
Sixtli, remained closed after the announcement of her fate had 
become known. 

" In the evening but a single dim light shone from one of 
the rooms, while within the house all was as quiet as death 
np to about eight o'clock, at which hour Miss Annie E. Sur- 
ratt, wlio had been in constant attendance upon her mother 
drove up to the door in a hack, accompanied by a gentle 
num. 

" She appeared to be perfectly crushed with giief, and aa 
she alighted from the carriage some ladies standing near were 
moved to tears of sympathy with the unfortunate girl whose 
every look and action betrayed her anguish. 



THE CXECUTION". 351 

"Miss Surnitt, after gaining admittance to the house, 
fainted several times, causing great bustle and excitement 
among the inmates, wlio were untiring in their efforts to con- 
sole tlie ahnost heart-broken young lady. 

" From early in the evening until a late hour at night, 
tiundreds of pei'sons, old and young, male and female, visiled 
the vicinity of Mrs. Surratt's residence, stopping upon the 
opj)Osite side of the street, glancing over with anxious and 
inquiring eyes upon the house in which the conspirators 
met, commenting upon the fate of the doomed woman, and 
the circumstances connected therewith. 

"During the evening not less than five hundred persona 
visited the spot." 



CT7 A PT F. n X X V. 

THK DETECTIVE POLICE AND THE ARREST OP THE ASSASSINa 

fersonal Relations to President Lincoln — Hia Kindness and ConQdeuce — M7 Order tJ 
Pursue the Conspirators — Results — Statements of Subordinates and Oihera, 

I SHALL now proceed to give a brief official history of my 
connection with tlie arrest of tlie assassins of the President. 
For some weeks previous to the assassination I had been on 
duty in New York, engaged in making investigations with 
reference to frauds committed in the recruiting service. On 
Saturday morning, April 15, while in my room at the Astor 
House, having just risen to dress, Lieutenant L. C. Baker, 
who had come on from Washington the evening previous, 
rushed into my room and announced the fact that President 
Lincoln had been assassinated. This announcement called 
to my mind at once the various communications containing 
threats of assassination that had for nearly two years been 
received. The last advices from Washington, received early 
on Saturday morning, simply announced that the President 
still lived, but no hopes wpre entertained of his recovery. 
The feeling of indignation .im<1 sadness exhibited by my 
whole force, then on duty in iS'ew York, when I announced 
to them the fact, I have never seen equaled. We had all 
learned to love the President as a father. Amid all our 
scenes of trial, through the prejudice of loyal citizens and the 
passion of enemies of the Republic, and of detected crimi- 
nals, we had received the kindest treatment from Mr. Lincoln. 
Whenever he was plied with charges against the bureau, he 
i^ indicated its character, and affirmed it to be one of the 
jecessary institutions of the civil war. 

He never hastily accepted the opinion of the highest m 
position, nor in a single instance arraigned the national 
^olic* for its action, however loud the clamor of the victinoa 
)f its u-gus-eyed vigilance. 

352 



INTENSE EXCITEMENT IN WASHINGTON. 353 

At twelve o'clock on Saturday, April 15, I received th« 
following dispatcli from the Secretary of War : — 

Washwqton, April 15, 1868. 

Colonel L. C. Raker: — 

Come here immediately and see if you can find the murderer of the 
Prosid»;nt. 

Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War. 

No train left New York by which 1 could reach \Vash- 
ington before the following morning. On Sunday morning, 
April 16, I arrived in Washington. My interview with the 
Sf'cretary of War was a sad one. As I entered the Secretary's 
office, and he recognized me, he turned away to hide liis 
tears. lie remarked — " AVell, Baker, they have now per- 
formed what they have long threatened to do ; they have 
killed the President. You must go to work. My whole 
dependence is upon you." 

I made some inquiries with reference to what had been 
done toward the capture of the assassins, and ascertained 
that no direct clue even lind been obtained, beyond the 
simple conceded fact that J. Wilkes Booth was the assassin 
of the President. 

The popular excitement in Washington was fearfully 
intense. P"'or the time the gigantic crime, and the arrest of 
the criminals, put into the background of interest the crisis 
of National affairs and the ordinary business of life. Every 
face which did not bear the affected anxiety or indifference 
of Southern sympathy, had the gloomy, mournful aspect of 
inexpressible, bewildering horror and grief. 

The practical duties which engaged the exhausting labors 
of my bureau, and the results that followed, between the mur- 
der of the President and the capture of Booth, are narrate(' 
truthfully in the paper addressed to the Secretary of War :— 

Wabhinqton City, July 7, 1868. 

On the morning of April 15, 1865, while on duty in New York City, nndei 
orders from the War Department to investigate certain frauds in conncctior 
with the secret service, I first heard of the assassiration of President Lincoln, 
and {.ttempts to assassinate the Secretary of Stat« On the afternoon of the 
day before referred to, I received a telegram from tht Secretary of War, dirert 



354 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

War, to learn the particulars of the assassination, and what measures had 
been adopted to secure the cajiture of the assassins. I could learn but little 
beyond the simple fact that J. Wilkes Booth was the snpposed a3saa.sin, and 
that Ilarrold washis accomplice. I asked if any photographs of the snpposed 
assassins, or descriptionsof their persons, had been secured or published. T© 
my surprise I learned tJiat nothing of the kind had been done; daring th* 
afternoon of Sunday rumors were freely circulated throughout the city con- 
cocting the name of John Surratt and others with the assassination. 1 imme- 
diately secured pictures of tliose mentioned above, and on Monday the 17th 
had them coj.ied, with a full and accurate description of each assassin printed 
in a circular, in which I offered a reward of Ten Thousand Dollars. Tiiese, 
with their photographs and descri{>tions, I dispatched to a number of detec- 
tive agents in all parts of the country. I also mailed large numhers to diller- 
ent localities. These photographs and descriptions were the first ever pub- 
lished or circulated. At this time it was almost imjiossible to obtain any 
information of a reliable character; the unpamlloled atrocity of this terril>!e 
event, and the fact that the assassins had for the time being escaped, had 
seemingly paralyzed the entire community. The local detective force of New 
York. Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, and other cities, had arrived, and, 
with the entire military force of this department, had reported to General 
Augur, whose hea<l<]uarter9 were in Wasliington. On Monday, April 18th, or 
Tuesday following, I dispatched six men of rny force into Lower Maryland. 
After being absent four or five days, they returned, unsuccessful, toward the 
ond of the week succeeding the assassination. 

No reliable information having been obtained, so ftir as I knew, concern- 
ing tHe whereabouts of tlie assassins, and having become thoroughly convinced 
that Booth and Ilarrold had [)assed into Lower Maryland via Auacosta or Navy 
Yard Bridge, within an hour after the assassination, and being aware that 
nearly every rod of ground in Lower Maryland must have been repeatedly 
passed over by the great number of persons engaged in the search, I finally 
decided, in my own mind, that Booth and Ilarrold must have crossed tbe river 
into Virginia. After crossing they could not go toward Richmond or down 
the Potomac, as the Federal trooi)s were then in possession of that entire sec- 
tion of country; the only possible way left open for escape was to take a 
south-western course, in order to reach the mountains of Tennessee or Ken- 
tucky, where such aid could be secured as would insure tlieir ultimate escape 
from the country. On examining the map, I ascertained wliere the principal 
crossings of the Rappahannock were located. On Sunday morning, April 
231, I asked Major Eckert to furnish me with a competent telegraph operator, 
and necessary apparatus, with the intention of opening an otlice at Port 
Tobacco. This request was comj)licd with, as indicated by tlie aote ap- 
pended : — 

OprirR rJuiTBD St*tf» Milit'kt Tei.boraph, I 
Wab iJKi'AETUK.NT, W AcuijieroB, l>. C, Jj/rii 23, ISeft. f 

Colonel Bakeb: — 

This will introduce to you Mr. Beckwith, a cipher operator, of great scout- 
ing experience, who may be of great service to you, in addition to his tele- 
graj hing. 



AN INTELLIGENT "CONTRABAND." 355 

I a1>so send with him Mr. Cheney, a repair man, to make speedy conneo* 
Uons wbere'^er it may be found necessary. Please furnish him a side-arm. 

Yours truly, 

Thos. F. Eokebt. 

Mr. Beck with was sent to me on Sunday afternoon. This operator, with 
two of my detective agents, Hubbard and Woodall, left Washington on Sun 
day afternoon or evening, on board the steamer Keyport. They did not reach 
the landing at Port Tobacco until nearly morning on Monday. There was 
Drought to my headquarters a colored man, who I was informed had import- 
ant information respecting the assassins. On questioning the colored man, I 
found he had seen two men, answering the description of Booth and Harrold, 
entering a small boat in the vicinity of Swan's Point. After a series of ques- 
tions propounded and answered by this colored man, giving a description of 
the assassins, I was surprised to learn from him that he had three days pre- 
viously communicated precisely the same information to some soldier-men (aa 
he expressed it) then engaged in searching for the assassins, but that the 
soldier-men called him a duimed black, lying nigger, and did not believe hia 
story. This information, with my preconceived tlieory as to the movements 
of the assassins, decided my course, I wrote a note to Major-General Ean- 
cock, then in command of this Department, requesting him to send me a 
detachment of twenty-five cavalry, under charge of a competent, discreet, and 
reliable officer, to report at my headquarters for duty as soon as possible. I 
then called Lieutenant-Colonel Conger and Lieutenant L. B. Baker, formerly 
of my regiment (the First District Cavalry), and informed them that I had 
information concerning Booth and Earrold, and spreading a map of Virginia 
on my table, with a pencil I marked out the point where I supposed the assas- 
sins crossed, and their course after crossing the ferry at Port Conway. I then 
remarked, "1 will give you the cavalry, and don't come back without them, for 
they are certainly in that vicinity." About one o'clock, or soon after (the pre- 
cise time I cannot now recollect), a squad of cavalry rode up in front of my 
headquarters ; the officer in command dismounted, and entered the office and 
inquired, "Is this Colonel Baker's headquarters?" Some one standing by said 
"Yes." I then said, "I am Colonel Baker." The officer said, "I am ordered 
to report to you." I asked the officer his name. He replied, "Lieutenant 
Dougherty." I asked, "What cavalry have you got?" He replied, "A de- 
tachment from the Sixteenth New York Cavalry." I called Lieutenant 
Dougherty to where Ck)nger and Baker were standing, and said, " Lieutenant, 
you will act under the orders and direction of these two men," referring to 
Conger and Baker. "You are going after Booth, and have got the only 
reliable information concerning his whereabouts." Some further conversa- 
tion occurred respecting the cavalry, rations, forage, transportation, &c. Aa 
I intended and did place the control and management of the expedition solely 
and exclusively under my own men, I did not deem it necessary to give Lieu- 
tenant Dougherty any instructions whatever, and only called to my assistance 
the military to protect my men in the execution of my orders and instruo- 
Mons This had usoaUy been the practice in my bureau for two or three 



356 UNITED STATES SECRET SEWYIOE 

years previotisly. The unsettled condition of aflfairs in the section of Virginia 
to be visited by the expedition made it necessary that a military force should 
accompany it, otherwise my plans for the capture of the assassins could and 
would have been much more promptly and satisfactorily carried out and con- 
Bummated bv my detectives — for Booth would have been brought to "Washing- 
ton alixe. 

The expedition left "Washington on the afternoon of Monday, April 24. 
Tlie facts of the capture, killing of Booth, &c., having been detailed by thopa 
directly connected with and actual participators in the same, I shall conclude 
my statement by briefly referring to what occurred after the capture. On 
Wednesday, April 26, about 5 o'clock p. m., Colonel Conger arrived at my 
headquarters with the first information respecting the result of the capture 
of the assassins. I immediately took him to the house of the Secretary of 
War, when he detailed briefly the facts of the pursuit, capture, and killing of 
Booth, &c., at the same time handing to the Secretarv of War the effects, or 
articles, taken from the dead body of Booth. By direction of the Secretary 
of War, with Colonel Conger, I went immediately to Alexandria, to intercept 
and take charge of the prisoner Harrold, and the dead body of Booth, which 
Bince the capture had been in charge of Lieutenant Baker. About 12 o'clock, 
the steamer Ide, with tlie assassins, arrived at Alexandria. I went on board, 
and took charge of the management and disposition of the prisoner Harrold 
and body of Booth. It is a well-known fact, with few exceptions, that as 
soon as it was publicly known that the assassins were captured, those that 
had been the most persistent in forcing their claims before the committee 
appointed to investigate the matter, entirely ceased and abandoned all efforts to 
procure, or even assist in procuring, the requisite proofs to con\'ict the assas- 
sins. I desire to state positively that the information that prompted me to 
eenl the expedition to Port Conway was not, in any way, shape, or manner, 
derived from the War Department, or from any information or intimation 
furnished by any one connected with the search for the assassins. I neither 
saw nor knew the contents of any telegrams, letter, or memorandums, refer- 
ring in the slightest manner to the fact that the murderers had crossed the 
Potomac River. I desire further to state that the information before referred 
to in this statement, and ray belief and preconceived theory as to the intended 
movement of the assassins, was the sole and only incentive that prompted the 
Bending out of the expedition which resulted so successfully. My honest con- 
viction is, and it is the opinion repeatedly expressed by those in authority, 
that, had not this expedition reached the Garrett Farm as they did, on Wednea- 
day morning, before daylight, Booth and llarrold would have escaped entirely. 

Respectfully submitted, 

L. 0. Bakbr, 
Late "Brig.-Gen., and Pro. -Mar. War Department 

It is well known among the authorities at Washington, 
that the preliminary steps and investigations, with reference 
to the assassination, had already been taken, before my 



OFYIOIAL INSOLENCE— Fl.£TCnER. 357 

arrival tht^re, at Genpral Anp;nr's headquarters. A coniTnia- 
eion, consisting of Colonel Wells, Colonel Foster, and Colonel 
Alcott, wag then in session, and all information, from what- 
ever sources derived, was laid before this commission. The 
enormity of tlie crime committed by the assassins, and the 
anxiety of thj public for their arrest, had divested my mind 
entirnly of uj.y thing like rivalry in the investigations going 
on. I was "^/illing, and indeed anxious, to work and co- 
oju'rate with any officer or officers in the prosecution of this 
idvestigation. I was even willing to place myself under the 
advice, counsel, and direction of any officer, whether mili- 
tary or civil. Accordingly, I repaired to General Augur's 
headquarters, and asked some questions with regard to the 
information already obtained. I was informed that neither 
my services nor the services of my force were required ; that 
a positive clue had been obtained as to who the assassins 
were, and their whereabouts. After making some further 
inquiries, to all of which I received either evasive or insult- 
ing replies, I detenu hied to set on foot an investigation under 
my own direction. AVith this view, I immediately obtained 
photographs of the supposed assassins, and had a large num- 
ber of them copied, which I sent in all directions. I believe 
the first clue obtained as to the assassins was derived from a 
man named Fletcher, employed in the livery stable of Mr. 
Naylor, in Washington. Ilarrold had, on the afternoon pre- 
vious to the evening of the assassination, hired a horse at 
Mr. Naylor' s stable. Mr. Naylor, fearing that Ilarrold 
would run away with the horse, had sent Fletcher to A'atch 
him. The evidence of Fletcher, given before the commission 
on the trial of the assassins, shows that he went to the Navy 
V.-nd bridge. The bridge being guarded by a military force, 
and having no pass, he could not cross ; but he learned that 
two suspicious characters had just crossed on horseback. 
He returned to General Augur's headquarters about one 
o'clock on Saturday morning, and reported the fact. Here 
begins the first series of blunders in this attempted search 
for the assassins. Fletcher's statement was entirely disre- 
garded. No steps were taken by those in possession of this 
information to follow up the clue thus given until sixteen 
hours afterward. This delay enabled the assassins t/i gt,t 



,358 UNITED STATES SECRET SEE VICE. 

'entirely beyond the reach of tliose sent in pursuit. On San- 
day, at ten o' clock, I received the following information:— 

Baltivobb, April 16, 1846. 

The following information has just been received from Polk Gardner, a 
lad who left Upper Marlborough, Prince George Conntv, on Friday night, to 
come here to see his father, who is dying. On the road, about four miles 
from Washington, he met a man on a roan horse, who inquired the way to 
Upper Marlborough, and whether he had seen a man riding rapidly in that 
direction. About two miles from Washington he met another man, on a ba; t 
horse, who also inquired the road to Upper Marlborough, and asked him if Im 
had seen a man riding in that direction. The last named then rode on rapidly. 
This occurred at eleven o'clock, or a little later. 

The steamer Commerce left here yesterday morning at six o'clock, without 
passengers, but with a guard and shrewd oflicer, with orders to make her 
usual trip and take in all passengers that jireseuted themselves, and then 
secure them and bring them all here. As she goes to Uj)per Marlborough, 
stoiqiing at Benedict and other places, it is not unlikely that the guilty parties 
may be caught. 

I immediately sent for Polk Gardner, and had his state- 
•irient taken. The description given of the horses — to wit, 
Diie bay and one roan — corresponded exactly with the de- 
scription furnished by Fletcher of the horses hired from 
Xaylor's stahle. This, with Fletcher's statement, furnished 
ao my mind conclusive evidence that the assassins had gone 
in the direction of Lower Maryland. 

It is proper to state, in this connection, that a large mili- 
tary force, consisting of a whole brigade of infantry and 
over one thousand cavalry, together with over two hundred 
detectives and citizens, had gone into Lower Maryland. My 
force being small at the time, many of them being engaged in 
tlie Western States in pursuit of criminals, I sent a small 
detachment of detectives with photographs and circulars into 
Lower ^faryland. They were absent four or five days, and 
returned with no clue to the assassins. The community were 
becoming impatient at the delay in the capture of the assas- 
sins, and beginning to fear that they would finally escaj)e. 
On Sunday morning, the 23d of April, I sent the following 
ncjte to Major-General Hancock : — 

Was DKPlBTlfKNT, WAflHINQTOH ClTT, Apt il 24, 196b, 

Wajor-Generai Hanoook, United States Army: — 
Cejjeral — I am directed by the Secretary of "War to apply to yoa for a 



THE PURSUIT BEGUN. 359 

small cavalry force of twenty-five (25) ipen, well mounted, to be commanded 
by a reliable and discreet commissioned officer. 

Can yon furnish them ? and if so, will yon please direct the officer com- 
manding the squad to report to me with the men at No. 217 Pennsylvania 
A.venue, opposite "Willard's Hotel, at once? 

I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 
(Signed) L. 0. Bakek, 

Colonel, and Agent "War Department 
Official : 

DcwoAN S. "Walkbb, a. a. General. 

In response to this communication, the cavalry arrived at 
my headquarters. I immediately called into my private 
office two of my detective officers — Colonel Conger and Lieu- 
tenant Baker — and informed them that I had information that 
Bootli and Harrold had crossed the Potomac, at the same 
time pointing out with a pencil the place on a map where 
they had crossed, and where I believed they would be 
found. Lieutenant Dougherty, of the Sixteenth New York 
Cavalry, wlio commanded this squad, was introduced to 
Colonel Conger and Lieutenant Baker, with the following 
remark : — " You are going in pursuit of the assassins. You 
have the latest reliable information concerning them. Yon 
will act under the orders of Colonel Conger.'' 

I then dispatched a messenger to the quartermaster at 
Sixth Street wharf, with a request to furnish a boat as soon 
as possible, to take a squad of cavalry down the Potomac 
The messenger returned, bringing the following communica- 
tion from Captain Allen, the quartermaster : — 



Absistant Qoartebmabtik's OFricm, 

BrviB Transportation, Sixth Steekt Whakf, 

Wabhinqton, D. C, April 22, 1866. 



•[ 



Colonel L. 0. Baker, Agent War Department: — 

Sib — I have the honor to inform you that I wUl have a boat ready for yoa 
at four p. M. this day. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

A. S. Allen, 
Captain and Assistant Qnartermaster. 

The expedition left Washington on board the steamer 
Ide^ about four o'clock. The facts and incidents connected 
with the pursuit and capture of the assassiM, from this time 
antil the body of Booth was returned to Washington, and 



360 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

placed in my possession, I will leave to be detailed hy 
Colonel Conger and Lieutenant Baker : — 

WASmncTON, D. C, December 24, 18<i5. 

To the Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary ofWar: — 

SiK — Under General Order No. 164, in reference to the rewards offered by 
the Secretary of War for the apprehension of Booth and Harrold, the assassina 
of the late President, E. J. Conger, late a lieutenant-colonel, and L. B. Baker, 
late a lieutenant, beg to submit the following narrative of the events of that 
service : — 

They were important actors in the pursuit and capture of those parties, 
and themselves did, and saw others do, every thing that went to make up 
that enterprise, from its inception in the brain of its projector and master- 
fpirit, until the bodies of the two fugitives, living and dead, were delivered 
into the hands of the Department of War ; and it is that this narrative may, 
in some degree, help to the proper appreciation of the services of the parties 
to whose hands the chief of the Detective Bureau committed the execution 
of his plans. 

General Baker, under the orders of the Department, reported at Washing- 
ton for duty Sunday morning, April IGth. lie was accompanied by Lieuten- 
ant Baker, and joined by Colonel Conger the Monday following. Both of 
these gentlemen, then private citizens, were taken into service by General 
Baker, and assigned, under his immediate orders, to the special duty of the 
subject of this statement. 

Upon the arrivid of General Baker, he found the entire field occupied by a 
numerous corps of detectives, whom the importance of the service and the 
calls of the Government had assemblod from various points, and in whose 
hands seemed to be all the various sources of information, and the clues to all 
that was known or suspected, then at command. 

He found, upon approaching these parties, that they were unwilling to 
Impart to him their information, receive him into confidence, and share with 
him their counsels; and with such slender information as was then in the 
personal possession of the Secretary of War, the chief of the Military Bureau 
was obliged to take the case up from the beginning; and after the field had 
boen gone over and gleaned by other hands and the footprints of the assassins 
effaced or lost. 

It was an accepted fact that Booth was the immediate assassin of the 
President, and that Harrold was his accomi)lice, and shared his flight or place 
of concealment. 

A cartful analysis of all that could be ascertained satisfied General Baker 
that these parties had fled, and would probably attempt to escape across the 
Lower Potomac; and his first efi'orts were directed to securing the accurate 
likenesses of Booth and Harrold, as well as of others, and a full and minute 
description of their persons. These likenesses were taken, and printed — the 
first and only ones issued of these parties — he caused to be extensively circu- 
lated in every direction likely to be taken by the fugitives ; in particular 



GENERAL BAKER AT WORK. 361 

Lieutenant Baker was detailed, with five or six active anJ reliable men, io 
traverse Lower Maryland and distribute them, lie was also to examine and 
note every possible indication of the presence of the parties, or other suspect- 
ed persons, from which labor he returned the Saturday following, having 
explored the whole region unsuccessfully, while the chief remained at head- 
quarters, with Colonel Conger and other assistants, constantly, anxiously, and 
exhaustively collating and exploring every outside rumor, theory, and source 
of information that sleepless labor, vigilance, and experienced sagacity could 
compass. 

It is out of place here, perhaps, to refer to the weight of indignant and 
Impotent grief that was added to a nation's sorrow for its loss, as the convic- 
tion settled upon the hearts of men that the murderers had escaped — that 
the resources and ingenuity of the police of the nation, aroused by a huge 
crime, and made active by the temptation of a great money reward, were 
baflled. 

While this feeling was hardening into certainty, the energy and determin 
ation of the chief of the military detectives were preparing more effective 
ellbrts. 

On Monday, the 24th, General Baker, steady in the opinion he had formed, 
sent one of hi'* men, Theodore Woodall, with a telegraph operator, into 
Lower Maryland with his instruments, to be attached to the wire at given 
points, and thus enable him to communicate, without loss of time, with that 

region. Woodall, while on this duty, fell in with , an old negro, 

•yhose statement so impressed him, that, instead of sending it by telegraph to 
Washington, he took and delivered him bodily to his su{)erior. 

The examination of the colored man satisfied General Baker that he had 
at last struck the trail of the fleeing murderers. That they had crossed the 
Potomac, near Matthews Point, on Saturday night, the 22d of April, and that 
Booth was lame. 

A hasty interview with the Secretary of War, and Colonel Conger wa< 
sent with a note from General Baker to General Hancock for a commissioned 
oflBcer and twenty-five cavalry, to report immediately to General Baker, for 
duty under his command, while Lieutenant F5aker made the necessary arrange- 
ments with the Quarteriiia.stf r's I "epartnient for transportation down th« 
Potomac. Upon their return from tliese duties, General Baker fully ex- 
plained to them the information vti which he was acting, and, with the aid 
of a map, pointed out with care the place of Booth and Ilarrold's crossing and 
their probable course and plans, and told them he was about to send them in 
pursuit; that they were to have full charge of the exj)edition, and that tli« 
cavalry force would go, subject to their orders ; that the expedition was to 
start the moment it could be got ready. It was to go down to Belle Plains, 
and, if there was no dock for landing at that point, to go to Aquia Creek_ 
and if the dock had been destroyed there, that the horses must be made to 
take the water, for in no event must they go below ; once on land, they must 
act on their own judgment and discretion ; that they must, if possible, dis- 
cover the trail of Booth and Harrold, and, once upon it, must push forward to 
their capture over all obstacles ; that the cavalry would go with nothing but 



362 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

their arms, and men and horses must not be spared; tliat he knew Cjiign; 
and Lieutenant Baker, and had entire confidence in tlioir judgment, sagacity, 
and conrage, and committed the enterprise fully to them. 

About two p. M. of the 24th, Lieutenant Doughertj of tlie Sixteenth New 
York Cavalry, reported to General Baker for orders, and was by him intro- 
duced to Colonel Conger and Lieutenant Baker; General l>aker told him that 
he was to be sent with him in pursuit of Booth and Ilarrold ; tiiat they had 
full information and instructions as to the service, and would liave the diioo- 
tion of it, and he must render them all the assistance in his power. No other 
01 further orders were given by General Baker to Lieutenant Duugherty, nor 
were explanations made to him about the service by General Baker, nor by 
Colonel Conger nor Lieutenant Baker. 

The party left Washiugton about sundown on the evening of the 24th, on 
steamer /(Zc; arrived at Belle Plains about ten in the evening and landed. 
Colonel Conger, while in service, having been the senior of Lieutenant Baker 
in the same cavalry regiment, and of large experience, by tacit consent as 
between them, took the main direction of afl'airs when present. In his 
absence. Lieutenant Baker was the acknowledged director of the exjicdition. 

Colonel Conger refused to have an advanced guard, but himself and Lieu- 
tenant Baker took the lead. At the divergence of the roads, a mile and a half 
from the river, the party took that which led to the Rappahannock. Conger 
went to almost every house they passed during the night. He called himself 
Boj'd, a brother of the Maryland Boyd, who had been killed. Said his party 
were rebels, trying to avoid the Union soldiers and escape into the interior. 
That they had been scattered, and he had lost some of his companions, one 
of whom was lame, ami they were anxious to learn of his whereabouts, &c. 
He inquired who had crossed the Ra{>pahannock, and where; and the location 
of all the crossings, whether by ferry or ford ; also about all the doctors, as 
they supposed Booth would seek the aid of some of them. Nothing wa? 
learned during the night. Daylight disclosed the character of the party, and 
changed the tactics of the leaders. 

The party arrived, without incident or information bearing on the service, 
at Point Conway on the Rajijiahannock, opposite Port Royal, about twelve 
o'clock, when they halted for thirty minutes. 

While resting here, Lieutcnunt Baker went to the ferry, near which he 
fell in with a man who gave liis name as Rollins. A conversation ensued, 
m which Lieutenant Raker showed him the likeness of Booth, which Rollina 
recognized as one of the party who crossed the day before, except that that 
man had no moustache. He also recognized the likeness of Ilarrold. Colonel 
Conger was sent for, and took Rolliiis's statement, now on file in the Judge- 
Advocate-General'fl office. The substance was, that Booth aud Ilarrold arrived 
there the day before, late in the afternoon, in an old wagon driven by a negro, 
*nd wanted to go on. Buuth was lame, and would give him, RoUins, ten 
dollars in gold to take them on to Bowling Green, fifeeen miles toward 
Orange Court Ilonse. Meantime three i-ebels came up on horseback. Bain- 
bridge, Haggles, and Jett, who had a conversation witii Booth and Ilarrold, aud 
agreed to help them on, and did so. As some of that party resided at Bowr' 



HALF-WAY HOUSE— BOWLING GREEN. 303 

Ing Green, it was supposed that Booth and Harrold would be taken there b* 
them. Rollins was willing to go as a guide for Conger and Baker, and was 
put under arrest to save appearances. 

The expedition was ferried over the river with as little delay as possible, 
and pickets posted to prevent any parties leaving Port Royal till the party 
was again in motion. After passing the river a short distance, two men were 
discovered on horseback, as if observing the party, to whom Conger and 
Baker gave chase. After pursuing them about two miles, they plunged into 
the woods and disappeared. 

The command reached the " Elalf-way House," so-called, a solitary build- 
ing, about nine in the evening. The occupauts, four or five young women, 
raised and kept up such a clamor, that Conger's and Baker's inquiries were a 
"pursuit of knowledge under difficulties," until one of tliem said that they 
were looking for a party that had committed an outrage on a girl, which led 
to their being told that a party of five men, describing them, with throe 
horses, had called there the day before and taken drinks, and that they all 
came back but one. The supposition was that Booth, the principal, had been 
left at Bowling Green. Once more in the saddle, horses eihausted, and men 
weary, hungry, and sleejjy, the command pushed forward, and reached Bowhn-g 
Green between eleven and twelve o'clock. 

The one hotel, where Bootii might be, a large, rambling, utterly silent anil 
dark building, was ?urrounde<l by the dismounted cavalry, and a vain effort 
made to arouse tlie inmates, if occu])ant9 it had. 

A negro finally conducted Colonel Conger to a shanty in the rear, where 
another negro told him that a woman and her daughter occupied the tavern, 
and that Jett was there also. 

Colonel Conger entered the house and found his way to Jett's room and 
arrested him, when he was joined by Baker and Lieutenant Dougherty. Jett 
was alarmed, wanted to see the commander of the J'arty, and was referred to 
Colonel Conger. I»uker and Lieutenant Dougherty withdrew, when Jett siiid 
he knew what Colonel Conger wanted ; lie wanted Booth and Harrold, and 
he, Jett, could take him and show him wliere they were. 

He wanted assurances of [lersonal safety, and Colonel Conger gave tliera. 
Jett dressed, and on joining Lieutenant Baker, he told them. Conger and 
Baker, that Booth and Harrold were about three miles from Port Royal, at 
Garrett's. And on being tohl that the [larty had jnst passed along tliere, he 
was disconcerted, for he had supposed that they came from Richmond, and 
r *()und thai their coming from Port Royal had frightened Booth and Harrold 
aw ay, as it had. 

Tjion remounting the party, it was found that one or two of the men had 
straggled, and two or three otliers were left to look them up. The object of 
the return was not made known to Lieutenant Dougherty until near Garrett's 
Jiouso. 

The party reached the lane that led from the road to Garrett's house 
about two A. M., of the 20th. During the time that Conger and Bnker were 
ex[doring the way to the house, the men had dismounted, thrown themselves 
on the ground, and gone to sleep ; and it was with much exertion that they 



364 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

were aronsed and got in motion again. Tlie house was surrounded, and, ic 
response to tho summons of Lieutenant Raker, the elder Garrett appeared, 
struck a light, and said, in reply to Baker's incjuirj, that the two men had 
gone olf into the woods. At the ajjproach of Colonel Conger, a son of Gar- 
rett's came up and said tl e men were in the barn, and offered to sh.ow theiD 
where they were. . The i>arty proceeded to the barn, Lieutenant Baker with 
1 lighted candle, and having the young Garrett in custody. 

The barn, with the buildings near it, were as prom[>tly and effectually 
lurrouuded as the condition and discipline of the command would per- 
mit. 

The barn, as it was called, was in fact an old tobacco-house, perhaps sixty 
feet square, weather-boarded, with large doors in the middle of the front side, 
and in one of which was a smaller door; a barn, a ?lied, with other buildings, 
were near this building. Colonel Conger and Lieutenant Dougherty placed 
the dismounted soldiers about the buildings, while Lieutenant Baker w .th 
young Garrett approached the door with the candle, when young Garrett 
remembered that the door was locked on the outside. Another young Gar- 
rett then came up and was sent by Baker far the key. When the key arrived, 
Lieutenant Baker in a loud voice said to Garrett, "Go in and tell the men to 
come out and surrender." He said he was afi^id; the men were armed with 
pistols and carbines, and would shoot him. Lieutenant T'aker, then addressing 
the parties inside, said, " We are going to send in the men in whose custody 
yon are to demand your arms and surrender." Baker then unlocked the 
door, and Garrett, in much trepidation, went in; and Baker heard a mumbled 
conversation inside, Booth finally saying, " Get out of here or I will shoot you. 
Danm yon, you have betrayed me," and Garrett came back much frightened, 
and was let out, saying that Booth was going to shoot him, and " You may 
burn the barn." Something had been before said about burning the barn, 
partly to alarm Bo(jth and Harrold, and as one of the means that raigLt 
ultimately be resorted to, to which young (hirrett had objected. 

In the mean time, it had occurred to Conger and Baker, that in the event 
of an attempt to escape by Booth and Harrold at the door, and which would 
bring on a general contest, that it woidd be very likely to draw the fire of 
the soldiers nearest, which would endanger tliem quite as much as it would 
Booth and Ilarrohl, and as a precaution for their own safety, they removed 
all the soldiers from the front of the building, and all whoso posts were such 
%s to command a view of the area immediately about the door. 

Colonel Conger also found on his roumls one man who refused to do duty, 
because he was without arms — touk none wiili him, but was supj)lied with a 
f-istol on the ground. It was also found necessary to {dace a rail or pole, 
or some other object, on the ground, to indicate to each man his position, and 
they were ordered by Colonel Conger, personally, not to leave their posts on 
any pretext whatever without orders. Lieutenant I>ougherty was most of 
the time, in the early part of the affair, at the barn, and took a position under 
an open shed, not far from the building ; and there consulted about burning 
the barn. Colonel Conger had ordered one of the young Garretts to deposit 
a qnaatity of brush against an angle of the barn, but at a point where he did 



DEATH OF J. W. BOOTH. 366 

Dot intend to fire it. and for the jiarpose of distracting the attention of Booth, 
and to mislead him. 

Understanding wliat Garrett waa doing, Booth threatened to shoot him if 
he dui not desist. lie also twice offered to Lieutenant Baker that if he would 
withdraw his men fifty yards he would come out and fight him. 

Ilarruld finally came to the door, offered to surrender, and Lieutenant 
Baker opened it, took him hy the hands, pulled him out, called Lieutenant 
Dougherty and turned him over to him. 

As a more effective means to insure the capture of Booth, it was finally 
determined to set the huilding on fire. There was on the floor a quantity of 
Utter, thrown in a loose pile against one side near an angle. From an opening 
at this Colonel Conger drew out some straw, twisted it, set it on fire, and 
instantly the whole mass was in flames. Under the eye of Colonel Conger, 
Booth immediately approached the fire, with a carbine in both hands, as if to 
fire, and cast his eye up and down the opening between the boards, but with the 
intense light between him and the opening, and the darkness without, it was 
impossible for him to see any thing outside. lie paused, dropped his hands, 
his head fell, as if in thought, and he then turned and went toward the door. 
Colonel Conger immediately started around the building, to reach the same 
point, when, on his way, he heard a pistol-shot, and upon going round he found 
Lieutenant Baker standing over the body of Booth, near the center of the 
building, and where he obviously had been in no position to injurt anybody. 
Colonel Conger at first supposed, and so said, that Booth had shot himself. 

At the moment of firing the barn. Lieutenant 15aker oj>ened the door, and 
saw Booth just as he turned from the fire, when he drop[>ed his crutch, and 
came with a rapid, halting walk, toward the door; when within twelve or 
fifteen feet of the door, with his carbine in his hand, he received the shot, and 
fell. Baker rushed to him, seized him by the arm, and was there found bj 
Conger. Lieutenant Baker saw that the shot was from some one outside, 
and remarked to Conger that "tht iii:tn who fired it should go back to Wash- 
ington under arrest." 

Sergeant Boston Corbitt, who fired the shot, had been placed by Colonel 
Conger about thirty feet from the barn, with orders not to leave his post on 
any pretext. Yet he did leave it, and approach the barn, when without 
order, pretext or excuse, he sliot Booth. 

The commnnications from the party of Conger and Baker, to Booth and 
Harrold, in the barn, were made entirely through Lieutenant Baker. It ie 
believed that no otlier one of the party addressed them. Much more i)assed 
between them than is stated above. Among other things. Booth said to 
Baker, whom he addressed as "Captain," "I could have shot you five or six 
times, but I believe you to be a brave and honorable man, and I will not hurt 
you." 

To the offers of Booth to come out and fight. Lieutenant Baker replied 
that " we did not come to fight you but to capture you." 

The few words and incoherent mutterings of the dying Booth are of no 
value in this narrative. Nor does it seem requisite to correct and contradict, 
to anj great extent, the statements of some of the parties present, as to tht 



366 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

details of the transaction, and their own part in it. Lieutenant Dougherty was 
the mere coranuinder of the soldiers, under Colonel Conger or Lieutenant 
Baker, tlie former of wliora often gave orders directly to tl.eni. At the barn, 
Lieutenant Dougherty took no part in the coniinunications with Boolli and 
Ilarruld, and was absent from tiio door when Boolli was shot. 

As soon after the termination of the affair as possible, Colonel Conger, in 
[lossessiou of Booth's diary, papers, &c., started for Wiishington, where lie 
reported to General Baker, about four p.m. of the 20th, leaving Lieutenant 
['•aker with the body of Booth, and llarrold under arrest, under the escort of 
Lieutenant Dougherty and the cavalry, to jnakc their slower way back, wliirh 
y-as accomplished with little delay, the party arriving before daylight of the 
27th. 

On Wednesday afternoon, April 261)1, about fire o'clock, 
Colonel Conger came to my headquarters, and, in a low 
;vliisper, announced the capture of Booth and llarrold, 
adding that the former was shot. It is not often that I am 
unbalanced by tidings of any sort ; but I sjirang to my feet, 
and across the room, and felt like raising a shout of joy over 
the triumph of justice, and the relief to millions of burdened 
hearts which would attend the tidings over the land. I 
immediately called for a carriage, took Colonel Conger with 
nie, and drove to the house of the Secretary of War. He 
liad been very despondent regarding the capture, and hnd 
often spoken of the disgrace it would be if the base assassins 
should escape. AVhcn I entered liie room he was lying upon 
a sofa. 1 had in my hand Booth's two j)istol3, his belt, 
Knife, and compass — the !,.tt<>r all covered with tallow, 
where he had held the i!_;iii iij) at night, to see in what 
direction he was going — his pi])e, and his diary. [ rushed 
into the room, and said, " We liave got Booth." Secretary 
Stanton was distinguished during the whole war for his 
oo(»lness, but I had never seen such an exhibition of it in 
my life as at that time, lie put his hands over his eyes, 
and lay for nearly a moment without saying a word. Then 
lie got up and put on his coat very coolly. In the mean 
time I had laid on his table all the effects that had been 
taken from Booth, He asked where he was captured. I 
said, "Near Port Conway, beyond the Rappahannock in Vir- 
ginia. Here are the things found on Booth's body." Colo- 



THE CORPSE— IDENTIFICATION. 369 

nel Conger gave the Secretary a brief statement of the 
capture. The Secretary directed me to take a boat and go 
to Alexandria and meet the boat that was bringing the body 
up. Accordingly I proceeded to Alexandria, and at twenty 
minutes to eleven o'clock the steamer Ide^ having on board 
tlie assassin Ilarrold and the dead body of Booth, with Lieu- 
tenant Baker In charge, arrived. The Secretary had directed 
that the boat conveying the assassins should go directly to 
the Navy 1 ard, and that the prisoner Harrold and the body 
of Booth should be placed on board a gunboat, as will be 
shown by ^he following order : — 

Wab Dbpartmknt, Washinoton Citt, April 26, I8681 

To the Ocr/'mandant of the Washington Navy Yard: — 

Let 0«^!onel Baker come into the Navy Yard wharf and alongside the fron- 
dad, t</ place one or two prisoners on board. 

Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War. 

We proceeded to the Navy Yard, and at the dead honi 
of the night disembarked our prisoner, put him in double 
irons, and confined liim in the hold of the vessel, where a 
number of other prisoners, arrested for their supposed con- 
nection with the assassination, had been already some days 
confined. Tlie body of Booth was placed on deck, in charge 
of a marine guard. It had been securely sewed up in a 
blanket before it left the Garrett farm. On the following 
morning a post-mortem examination was held, in order to 
the proper identification of the body. Dr. May, a physician 
of Washington, who had some two years before removed a 
tumor from Booth's neck, was called in as a witness. The 
scar of this tumor was readily found by Dr. May, and his 
testimony, with that of six or seven others, as to the identifi- 
cation, placed the question of indentity beyond all cavil. 
Afterward Dr. Barnes, the Surgeon-General of the United 
States Army, with an assistant, cut from Booth's neck a 
section of the spine through which the ball passed. This 
section is now on exhibition at the Government Medical 
^[useum at Washington. This was the only mutilation of 
J. Wilkes Booth that ever occurred, notwithstanding the 
numerous reports that his head was cut off and sent to 
Europe or Canada. On Thursday, the 27th, I was sent for 

M 



370 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

by the Secretary of War, and directed to make a disposition 
of the body of Booth. In compliance with these instrnc- 
tions, with the assistance of Lieutenant L. B. Balder, I dis- 
posed of the body, as related on another page, and also the 
circumstances connected with the trial of the assassins. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

LETTERS ON THE ASSASSINATION. 

Jacob Thompson — Volunteer Suggestions respecting the Assassin's Hiding-Placet 
before his Death, and the Disposal of his Remains afterward — Threats of mow 
Assasainationa — A Mysterious Letter — J. n. Surratl 

I snALL now copy a few of the many letters from different 
parts of the North, called forth by the exciting tragedy at 
onr capital, the most of which were addressed to the Secre- 
tary of War, and by him placed in my hands. Their chief 
value and interest arises from the expressions of feeling they 
fnrnish, and the manifold suggestions respecting the dis- 
covery and disposal of the homicide. 

The first communication relates to Jacob Thompson, for 
whose arrest subsequently a reward of $25,000 was offered. 

Habtfok», CoNNBonorr, ApHl 18, 1860. 
Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of "War, Washington : — 

Dbab Sir — I was yesterday told a story, by a young naan from New York, 
implicating one George Thompson, a companion of Booth, and, I believe, an 
actor in Laura Keene's Theatre, in the assassination of the President and Sec- 
retary Seward ; will write further about it if you think advisable. Hoping 
this may be serviceable in discovering the guilty assassin, 

I am, very respectfully, yoars, 

Wm. O. 

Temple BtrMt 

Haxttoxb, Comcicnoirr, April 18, 186S. 

W. O. StrMNKR, Jr. : — 

States that he has been told a story implicating one George Thompson, a 
eompanion of Booth, in the murder of President Lincoln. 

Was Dipaktmiwt, Washingtoh, April *1, \89&. 

Respectfally referred to Colonel L. C. Baker, Agent, &c., for his informs. 
tion, fiction, and report. 

By order of the Secretary of War, 

H. S. BuBNSTT, Jadge-Aavocatu. 
371 



S72 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

The indorsement on the back of the next letter will 
explain its import. 

BirrrALO, Niw Tobk, April IS, 1868k 

Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of "War, Washington, D. C. : — 

My Dear Sib — Bnsiness has called me to Toronto, C. W.. several timei 
within the past two months, and while there I have seen and heard some 
things, knowledge of which may be of service to the Government. 

About five weeks since I saw at the Queen's Hotel, at Toronto, a letter 
written by the late John Y. Beale just previous to his execution, which, after 
speaking of his mock trial, unjust sentence, the judicial murder tliat was to 
be perpetrated by his execution, &c., called upon Jacob Thompson to vindi- 
cate his character before his countrymen of the South, and expressed hia 
belief that his death would be speedily and terribly avenged. The letter 
Itself was addressed to Colonel J. Tliompson, Confederate Coinniissioner at 
Toronto, but the superscription upon the envelope (which was in a different 
handwriting from the body of the letter) read simply, J. Thompson, Toronto, 
Canada. This circumstance caused it to be delivered to a Mr. Thompson for 
whom it was not intended. I was permitted to peruse but not to copy the 
letter. I was informed at that time that the friends of Beale were banded 
together for the double purpose of avenging his death and aiding the Rebel 
Government. I have heard the same statement repeated many times since, 
and have frequently been told by citizens of Toronto, that some great mischief 
wa.s being plotted by Beale's friends and other refugees in Canada. More 
than a month General Dix's name was mentioned in my hearing in connection 
with the threatened vengeance. I regarded all such stories as idle tales 
unworthy of notice, consequently I never repeated them. Last Friday even- 
ing, while sitting in the office of the Queen's Hotel, I overheard a conversation 
between some persons sitting near me, which convinced me that the plan to 
assassinate the President was known to some at least of the refugees in Canada. 
The party was mourning over the late rebel reverses ; commenting also upon 
she execution of Beale, the extradition of Burley, the discharge of the raiders, 
&c. ; after which they endeavored to cheer themselves after this fashion : 
"We'll make the damned Yankees howl yet." "I'll wager, boys, that we'll 
get better news in forty-eight hours." " I reckon, by God, that Jeff". Davis 
will live as long as Abe Lincoln." " Old Abe won't hang Davis." " We'll hav« 
•omething from Washington that will make people stare." " Won't the damned 
Yankees curse us more than ever." 1 do not pretend to give the exact lan- 
guage of any of the parties, but expressions like those above quoted were of 
frecjuent occurrence during the conversation. I took very little notice of the 
party. Their words at the time appeared to me to be simply profane and 
vulgar, implying idle threats which could never be executed. Some of the 
party had evidently been drinking freely. They were all strangers to me. 
The next morning (Saturday, April 15), when I received the news of the 
assassination, I could not help feeling that the party I had heard the night 
before were implicated in the act. I met two of them in company with Ben 
Younjj, and one or two others of the St. Alban's raiders, on Saturday, in the 



COMMUNICATIONS. 373 

bar-roora of the Qneen's. One remarked, " Good news for as this Tnoming," 
and another, "Damn well done, but not quite enouf^^h of it." And as they 
raised their ^rlassea, one of thera said, "Here's to Andy Johnson's turn next," 
which was replied to, "Yes, damn his soul." On relating this circumstance 
to lion. E. (i. S[>aalding and otliers, they were of opinion that I should com- 
muiiii-ate them to your Department. For my own part, I beg to refer to lion. 
Ira Harris, of the Senate, and Hon. John A. Griswold, of the House. 

I am, my dear Sir, very truly yours, G. 8. 0. 

Mi. 0. is a respectable lawyer in this city, and his statements are entitled 
to credit. 

E. G. G., 
Buffalo, N. Y. 
From G. 8. 0. 

AprU 18, 186& 

To Secretary of War : — 

States that while at Toronto, 0. "W., five weeks ago, he saw a letter 
written by John Y. Beale to Colonel Jacob Thompson, Confederate Commis- 
sioner at Toronto, expressing, among other things, his belief that his death 
would be speedily and terribly revenged. Was informed that the friends of 
Beale were banded to avenge his death. Respectfully referred to Colonel 
Baker for his information. 

H. 8. BUBKKTT, 

Judge-Advocate, &o. 
I received several missives like the following : — 

Blodobt Mills, N. T., AprU 19, IMS. 

Colonel L. 0. Baker, Agent of War Department at Washington : — 

Dear Sir — I have been engaged with different traveling companies for 
some eight or ten years. I know the habits of thera pretty well. I used to 
be acquainted with J. Wilkes Booth. I don't think there is a theatie or circus 
company of any note but what I am more or less acquainted with. I am so 
well acquainted with that class of people that I think I could be of some use 
in tracking him out. If I had the means I should have been after him before 
DOW. I am at your service if you think I can be of any use to yoo. 
From your obedient servant, 

8. D. 8. 
P. 8. — I could find out things from that class of people that those una* 
juainted with them could not so readily. 

s. D. a 

Astrologists and spiritualists offered the Government the 
benefit of their prophetic gifts : — 

LAFATBTra, Iin>., April 28, 186& 

Mr. E. M. S. :— 

Dbab Sib — I wish to say a few words to you in regard to the whereabouti 
of Booth, who now lays concealed in a house in the State of Virginia, tear 



,•374 UTflTED STATES SECRET SERYIOE. 

ithe town of Midillebnrg, a little northeast of the Town ITonse, one story, 
■cottage style, roof very steep, back of the house high hills, in front a garden 
-laid out into squares. The man of the house is tall and straight, of sandy 
•complexion and sore eyes. If I had means to go to the south part of the 
'State to consult with a friend of mine, I think that we could draw a diagram 
■of the exact location and send to you, but I am poor. I have had thieves 
caught througli my way of telling things. I have been put in prison for 
telling the same, and life threatened also. If you should think this of any 
importance, please answer. If I can get means to go and see my friend, w 
will send you a correct diagram of the house and place of concealment. It . 
won't cost much to try. Sir, please not mention this to no one but yoit 
"friends. You may not have any faith in this, but try. 

Yours truly, H. F. 

Threats of additional assassination followed the murder 
-of Mr. Lincoln : — 

Tanner, Canada, April 20, 1866. 
'To Andrew JonxsoN, President of United States, or other authority: — 

With certainty I state to you that John A. Payne and thirteen others are 
•flworn to murder Andrew Johnson, E. M. Stanton, and L. S. Fisher, within 
thirty days from 23d April, 1865. The arrangements are all made and in 
^progress of execution. I do not know where John A. Payne is now ; he was 
at Montreal and Tanner, Canada, when this plot w.as projected. ITis brother 
Cname I do not recollect) is also implicated. Seven of the plotters are at 
Washington, four at Bedford, Bedford Co., Penn., and the thirteenth is with 
'Payne. These are plain facts. Do not reveal this, but arrest John A. Payne 
■and his brother. Yours truly, 

John P. 11. Hall, 

Of Tanner, Canada 
I send this to Detroit to avoid suspicion. 

Phiuldblpbia, April SO, IMS. 
To rion. W. n. Seward:— 

You may survive the fatal blow which I aimed at your throat, but know, 
thuo most cruel, cunning, and remorseless man, that sooner or later you will 
fall by the very hand which assaulted you la«t Friday night, and now [icuc 
these calm, solemn words. 

MOORITEAD CiTT, NOBTH CAftOLIMA, May t, 19M. 

n m. Wm. n. Seward, Secretary of State: — 

Sir —Inclosed you will find a letter which I found floating in the river by 
the new Government wharf, at this place, on the evening of the 2d instant. 
It was not until late last night that I succeeded in learning its i>urj)ort, it 
being in cipher. Having learned its nature, I lose no time in transmitting it 
to you, as one concerned. I send also a copy of the letter as I translate it. 
It is easy to perceive that the first word is Washington; the second, April ; 
the fourth, Dear; and the fifth, John. Having ascertained that much, I had 



COMMUNICATIONS. 375 

Dnt little difficnlty in making ont the remainder. The letter, evidently, had 
not been opened when thrown in the river. I think the fiend was here await- 
ing the arrival of General Sherman, and, on learning the General had gone to 
"Wilmington, and feeling himself pressed by the detectives, threw it overboard. 

Kespectfully yours, 

Chas. Dbnkt. 

P. S, — If tue letter should lead to any thing of importance, so that il 
would be necessary that I should be seen, I can be found at 126 Suutli U 
Street, between 6th and 4i. I am at present engaged in the Constructioi; 
Oorj^s, Railroad Department, at this place. Will be in "Washington in a few 
days. 

Chas. Dknet. 

[copy.] 
Translation of the Cipher Letter. 

WASHINGTON, April 15, 1965. 

Dear John — I am happy to inform you that Pet. has done his work well. 
Fie i.s safe ami Old Abe is in hell. Now, sir, all eyes are on you — you must 
bring Sliennan. Grant is in the hands of Old Gray ere this. Red Shoes 
showed lack of nerve in Seward's ca.se, but fell back in good order. Johnson 
tnu.st come. Old Crook has him in charge. Mind well that brother's oath and 
yon will have no difllculty; all will be safe, and enjoy the fruit of our labors. 
Wo had a large meeting last night — all were bent on carrying ont the pro 
gratiiiiie to the letter. The rails are laid for safe exit. Old — always behind- 
lost tlie pass at City Point. Now, I say again, the lives of our brave officers, 
and the life of tlie South, depend upon the carrying this jjrogramme into 
effect. No. 2 will give you this. It is ordered no more letters shall be sent 
by mail. When you write, sign no real name, and send by some of our 
friends who are coining home. We want you to write us how the news was 
received there. We received great encouragement from all quarters. I hop« 
there will be no getting weak in the knees. I was in Baltimore yesterday. 
Pet. has not got there yet. Your folks are well, and have heard from you. 
Don't lose your nerve. 

O. B. No. Five. 

A few brief comraunications are taken at random, which 
need no words of introduction, but will be readily under 
stood and appreciated. 

McIIkjjbt Ilorsit, Meadvillk, Punkbtltania, April 26, 18*5, 
Hon, E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War, Washington, D. 0. : — 

Sir — Recent dispatches, referring to a former and futile attempt upon the 
life of the late Abraliam Lincoln, by poison, liave induced me to write you 
regarding a circumstance occurring at this hotel, where I have been cashier 
for a year and a half. Some time ago the following words were observed to 
have been scratched upon a pane of glass in room No. 22 of this house, en- 



376 UNITED STATES SECRET 8ERVI0E. 

dently done with a diamond: "Abe Lincoln departed this life A-ngnit 18, 
1864, by the effects of poison." I give this just as it appears npon the glass. 
In view of recent events, it was deemed best to take the pane of glass out and 
preserve it, and we have it safe. As to the date of the writing, we cannot 
determine. It was noticed some months ago by the housekeeper, but was not 
thought particularly of until after the assassination, being considered a freak 
of some individual who was probably partially intoxicated. My theory now 
ie, that the words were written in prophecy or bravado by some villain who 
was in the plot, and that they were written before the date mentioned, Angnst 
13th. As to who was the writer, we can, of course, give no definite informa- 
tion. J. Wilkes Booth was here several times during last summer and fall, on 
his way to and from the oil regions. He was here upon the 10th, and again 
upon the 29th of June, 1864, but does not appear to have been assigned to 
that room, still he may have been in it in company with others who did 
occupy it. Upon the 10th the room was assigned to W. H. Crowell and J. 0. 
Ford, of Irvine, Pennsylvania; and upon the 29th, to R. E. Glass and J. W. 
King, of New York. Should you consider the matter of sufl5cient importance 
to desire it, I will give you a list of the persons occupying the room in ques- 
tion for a long time preceding the above date, as you may request. 

With a hearty desire to do all in my power to bring to light and to pun- 
ishment the author of this terrible crime, 

I remain, very respectfully, 

Tour obedient servant, 

8. D. Pagb. 

BoBTOii, Aprii 18, 186& 

Dbab Sib — As I am willing to do all in ray power to aid in the arrest of 
the assassin Booth, perhaps the following may be of service to you, as I have 
considerable confidence in my information, which I will let yon know about 
at some future time. Go through Mass. Avenue to 8th Street near the 
market to house No. 61, in the rear. Mrs. Caroline or Angeline Wright lives 
or stays there, and Booth is secreted there. He goes out in the disguise of a 
negro, aud also did before the assassination. He hides up stairs in a concealed 
closet, which would be difBcult to find, unless carefully looked after, as there 
is a slide or panel. He jumped off his horse after the crime was committed, 
another man taking his place, to avoid suspicion. The house may be No. 84, 
and may possibly be some other avenue, but on 8th street, or near the corner. 
I lun just and honest about this matter, but dare not give my name for fear I 
may be arrested; but should this give any information to you I shall proba- 
bly know it. 

Yours, H , 

St. CLAnernxa, Ohio, April it, IStS. 

To Hon. E. M. Stanton: — 

Believing in the eflScacy of prayer, and earnestly desiring that the assassin 
of our beloved President be brougl)t to justice, I clearly dreamed that the 
assassin was in a man's house by the name of Cromwell, at Reading, Pennsyl- 
r&iua. I am no believer in Spiritualism or fanaticism of any kind, I am a 



COMMUNIOATTONS. 377 

matter-of-fact woman, bat for the intelligence I prayed fervently; take it for 
what it ia worth, but I desire that it never be made pnblio. I feel it to be a 
datj to give my name, but a delicacy prevents me from so doing. 
Yours truly, 

St. Cla-Ibsville, Belmont Co., Ohio. 

BurFALO, Apr*l 2^ 1S6& 

Hon. Secretary of War : — 

Sir — I crave your pardon for troubling yon again with what suine foiki 
call foolishness, and perhaps yon have no faith in. I have called eeverd 
times on the person I mentioned to you since I wrote you; she still insists 
that the assassin is hid in tlie same place wliere he first went, and it is not 
three miles from the theater; she thinks he is clothed in female attire, and is 
making arrangements to go off on a large boat. I think it would be weJl to 
examine every female, young or old, that wants a pass to leave the city, and 
especially if their destination is Europe. You are aware, I presume, that a 
person of his profession can adapt themselves to any disguise. Do not let 
your disbelief in fortune-telling prevent you from using this as a means of 
information to bring the assassin to justice, for I have faith to believe he is 
concealed in a house of that description. You will forgive me for troubling 
you when you know how much we luved uur late President. 

Yuur humble servant, 

M KKCT. 
8S Tenth Street 

Tlie indignation of all classes of loyal people, which will 
deepen in its tone of condemnation and scorn around the 
nameless, unknown grave of the assassin, with the years of 
all coming time, is illustrated in the curious and varied cor- 
respondence copied below. Patriotism and religion entered 
alike into the absorbing interest of the exciting national ex- 
perience during the spring of ISC'). 



To the Editor of the Chronicle : — 

As any thing pertaining to IJ.mtli since his infamous deed (the murder of 
our noble, beloved President, Al>ruliain Liiicohi, wIjo is lamented by all, and 
above all by the soldiers, as a kind, generous Fatlier de]>arte(I) i>ossesses an 
interest to the great reading ])ub]ic, I, a solditT, rehite the following incidt-nt, 
as showing how persistent and unchangeable the wretch has heeu in hia 
treason since the outbreak of the Uehellion. At the commencement of llie 
war, when black-browed and defiant treason stretched out 'ts imj.iuus Liiid, 
red with murder, to tear in pieces the Constitution, to which the millions of 
the North cJung, as to their sheet-anchor of hope, J. Wilkes Booth was play- 
ing an engagement at the little Gayety Theatre, Albany, N. Y., which city, 
when startled from its propriety by the news of the unholy attack on Sumter, 
attested in action, more eloquent than words, its love for the old flag, by 
displaying it from every roof and window. Booth at that time openly and 



378 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

boldly avowed his admiration for the rebels and their deeds, which he ch&rao- 
terized as the most heroic of modern times, and boasted loudly that th« 
Southern leaders knew how to defend their rights, and would not submit to 
oppression. 

So vehement and incautious was he in his expressions that the people bo- 
came incensed, and, threatening him with popular violence, compelled hii 
hiisty departure from the city he had too long polluted with his presence. 
P.t'fore lenving, however, he attempted the life of a lady who, for the one or 
two past seasons, has been an established favorite at Mrs. John "Wood's 
Oiympic Theatre, New York City, with whom he (Booth) had a liaison^ as 
was thought by many, more intimate than honorable ; and conceiving, as 1 
suppose, that she, with a profusion truly regal, showered her charms and 
blandishraeuts on other suitors, he, in a fit of insane jealousy, entered her 
room at deep midnight and struck her with a dagger in the side. She, who 
could find no pleasure in becoming a martyr, merely for fun, turned upon him 
with the fury of a tigress, and in turn wounded him. "Would to God that the 
dagger of the actress, to quote Carlyle, "had intervened fatally," and saved 
the wretch from the black, gigantic crime that was impending over his guilty 
head, and the nation from the universal grief which now shrouds it with the 
funereal gloom of the grave, and which has excited among the good Blue 
Coats of the army an indignant, piercing anguish, that goes far beyond all 
power of description in words. 

A. D. DoTT, 
Carver U. S. General Hospital, "Washington, D. 0. 

State of Maryland, "Washington County, to wit : 

On this 2d day of March, 1865, before me, the subscriber, one of the Justicea 
of the Peace of the State of Maryland in and for "Washington County, person- 
ally appeared G. Y., and after being duly sworn according to law, doth depose 
and say, that he was in the clotliing-store of John D. Reamer about three 
weeks since, and he heard Mr. Johu D. Heamer, in conversation with William 
Gabriel, say that there was in Canada from England fifty thousand men and 
that there would be in a short time fifty tliousand more. He was then asked 
by Gabriel what that meant, and in answer he said he did not know, but we 
would find it out in a short time, and said that there was one hundred thon- 
84ind dollars made up now for a man to kill Abraham Lincoln, and that the 
man wanted the one-half in hand aM<l the hahmoe when the deed was done, 
lie was asked the question by (iabrid who tlie man was that was to do tlie 
act, and was answered by Reamer that that was not yet known, and by the 
Ittt day of April next we would have Lincoln out of his scat. And furthei 
this deponent saith not. Sworn before 

J. VV. Cook, J. P. 

I hereby certify that the above is a true copy of the originah 

J. W. Cook, J. P. 

Ron. E. M. Stanton: — 

Deab Sib — Thinking that any information tending to bring the actors and 
tcoomplices connected with the late lamentable occurreroes in Washington 



COMMUOTOATIONS. 379 

to the bar of justice would be acceptable to yonr Government, I an induced 
to give the following particulars relative to a young man wbo came into onr 
village some three days subsequent to the assassination of Mr. Lincoln, and 
whom I am inclined to believe is the Mr. Surratt spoken of in your paper as 
having escaped to this province. He is a young man of twenty-four or twenty- 
six years of age, five feet ten inches, perhaps six feet in height, black hair, 
parted behind, rather inclined to curl, lower jaw very large and deep, body 
small, legs disproportionately lengthy, figure good, bearing soldierly. His 
e)ts are rather small and black, lie had a moustache of a light brown when 
he came here, but dyed black since; no whiskers. Ills complexion ia very 
fine. He is stopping with a Dr. Merritt, an escaped secessionist, who came 
here in December last, and who has always, when speaking of your Govern- 
ment and late Chief Magistrate, expressed himself in terms of unrelenting 
bitterness and hostility. It is currently reported in our village that, when the 
news of the assassination of Mr. Lincoln came in, he fairly danced with joy 
upon the street. From what I have seen of the man, I should be quite pre- 
pared to believe him capable of offering his house as a rendezvous for such 
creatures as the St. Alban's raiders (of whose doings he seems to have had 
some foreknowledge) and the villains who have lately thrown your country 
into mourning. I send inclosed an advertisement published by Dr. Merritt 
upon his arrival here, in which you will perceive he professes to have been 
on somewhat intimate terms with your present Chief Magistrate, President 
Johnson. 

"J. B. Merritt, M. D., would very respectfully notify the citizens of Ayr 
and surrounding country, that he has taken the good-will and practice of the 
late David Caw, M. D., and William Caw, and will be found at the office latelj 
occupied by them in Ayr, on and after the 1st of December. 

" With seventeen years' experience in the treatment of diseases, he feela 
justified in claiming a share of the public patronage. 

"Ate, November 17, 1864." 

" Personal. — We direct the attention of our readers to the cards of Drs. 
William Caw, and J. B. Merritt, in another part of this issue, the former 
being about to retire in favor of the latter. Mr. Merritt comes to Ayr with 
the best of recommendations both as a medical practitioner and a gentleman. 
We have copies in our possession of quite a number of very flattering testimo- 
nials from some of the leading citizens of Knoxville, Tennessee, where Mr. M. 
formerly practiced. They include the names of Thomas A. R. Nelson, M. C, 
Ji)hu Netherland, ex-Gov., W. G. Brownlow, Editor 'Knoxville Whig,' and 
one from the Governor of the State of Tennessee, which we give in full : — 

[Copy.] 

Statb 07 Tknitbsbbb, Exsounva Chaxbks, } 

NAaBYILLK, AufflMt 10, 1864. f 

I have been intimately acquainted with Dr. J. B. Merritt for a long time, 
he having been my family physician for a number of years. It affords me 
great pleasure to commend him as a first-class physician, and as a gentleman 
entitle*! to every degree of public confidence. 

(Signed) Ajdbew Johnson, Governor. 



380 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVIOK 

Before taking the step I have done by writing the above, I consulted • 
most intelligent and efEcient magistrate, a resident of this place, open the 
matt«r, and he unhesitatingly indorsed the propriety of my communicating 
with you, and, like me, would be only too happy in being in any degree 
instrumental in bringing any of those villains, whether raiders or assassins, to 
the bar of justice. 

Hy communicating with Robert Wyllie, Esq., J. P., or with me, if it be 
thought advisable, any information that you may desire in addition to the 
above, if possible to give it, will be most cheerfully forwarded to you. 

Dr. T. J. Reid, one of your officers, at present on duty in the Findlay 
Hospital, Washington, can give you all needed information as to our village, 
il8 whereabouts, Robert Wyllie, Esq., and your correspondent. 

Sincerely regretting that conduct so barbarous as the assassination of 
your departed President and the attempted assassination of your Secretary of 
State should have been witnessed in your midst to call for a communication 
>f this character, 

I am, Sir, your obt., 

Q. W. Bingham, M. D. 

N4DA WMT, I 

ApHl 25, 1865. 



LtK, CocNTT Watkrloo, Canada Wmt, I 



ToEK, Pa., if ay », 1864. 

Col. L. C. Baker:— 

Sir — I had the honor to suggest to you, at one time, that I thought Booth 
was secreted in underground ai>iirtments in the city, and that he might attempt 
to escape in the disgui.'^eof a female. Subsequent developments demonstrated 
that 1 was right in regard to tlie underground apartment, but wrong as to 
Booth. It was another one of the conspirators that was secreted there at the 
time. As to the disguise, I sujjpose, that was subsequently attempte<l— not 
by Booth, of course, but by another. 

There is a point, I think, connected with the plot, whicl , if the Judt-d- 
Advocate could draw out of any of the prisoners or witnesses would make a 
stronger case, viz., the plan and canvass of the practicability t escaj>ing from 
the city in a balloon, which I tliink they had at one time. 

I submit to your consideration the following opinions jt points: That 
quite a number of persons, cognizant of and connected wit the conspiracy, 
are still at large; that chey have a head(iuarters still, wher . they meet, and 
plan, and advise; that said headquarters are probably in soi.ie back othce or 
rooms in the city, unknown to tlie authorities; and that tlieii chief conspira- 
tor, plotter, adviser, and areii-devil, at [)resetit, is a sly, cunning, quiet, long- 
headed shoemaker or cobbler, who works upon his bencl , and plots crime 
cnsasi^ected. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

E. Mattookj. 

Cm OF N«w 1 ORK, AprU 28, 18681 

Hon. E. M- Stanton : — 

SiB — The body of the assassin Booth should have no place on American 
«oiL What State, county, or town, would oonsent to give him a Varying- 



OOMAimnCATIONS. 381 

place? None but hia sytnpatLizers, and they should not be allowed to 
have it. 

I would suggest that an inquest in full !)e had, and a full and coni{ilete 
perpetual history be made of all the circumstances, with llie verdict of uuiver- 
lal condemnation be pronounced ui)on him, a copy of wliich to be put in • 
bottle, and, with Booth, be sunk in the ocean, in the doppest part ihertjt^f, to 
be food for reptiles, and to inform future posterity of his infamy. 

Your obedient servant, 

Leaxdeb Fox 

188 HirDBOR Stbket. 

To Don. Mr. Stanton : — 

I am glad to read this morning that the Booths are being searched and 
arrested, but oh, be vigilant ; let not the cellar nor the housetop escape notice, 
iet not the darkey that washes dishes nor old lady who knits in lier easy chair 
fail to be looked in the face, for with them it is nothing but play to perform 
what has so long been rehearsed. Perhaps he is in bed, witli the cap and 
nightgown of a female, feigning sickness. Let all things be done. 

Arrest Edwin Booth also; it will do no harm, for I think he and his 
mother are very near to the murderer. O please, for the sake of the honor 
and safety of people in general, do pass a law punisiiahle with death for either 
sex to wear the other's ajiparel. Witliout this all villains will run rampant 
through this fair land, and none will be safe. The utmost severity is needed 
in this trying hour, and if it ia not done, others more inferior will trample all 
law under foot. 

When going to the funeral of our loved President, I was asked by my 
neigiibor if I was going to a circus. 

May God grant your search may not be in vain, for we are filled with tho9« 
that rejoice in our midst, and none more so than those who have grown rich 
III this bloody war. 

In haste, 

JtJSTIOB. 

N«w ToBK, April 27, 18«5. 

Clbviland, Ohio, Aprilil, lSt&. 

The Don. the Secretary of War, Washington: — 

Sir — Allow me to suggest that the skeleton of the assassin Booth be pre- 
served and placed in ai)propriate receptacle, in order the more fully to i)er- 
petoate his infamy and be " a terror to evil doers." 

I am, Sir, yours with the utmost resjtect, 

J. B. GSIBBLB. 
Pbiladeltbia, ApHl 27, 18Mi 

To Secretary Stanton: — 

Respected Sir — lias the theater been examined critically by an architect 
or a practical builder. They could best detect any hiding-place formed by 
double floors, angular ceilings or roofa, partitions, or the straightening of 
irooked walls ; also private oommunications with adjoining houses. 

The hired horse, spurs, and rider may have been to blind. If newspapers 



382 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

contained the likeness and description of the murderer, the colored man Soutl 
as well as the whole North might be detectives. May God give you succeaa 
With great respect, 

I remain yours, 

R. T. K. 

N. B. — There is scarcely a house in this city but is so built that five or tau 
or.en could not be concealed in it. None but a builder perhaps could detect 
Ihe place. If it was thought proper to examine, I would suggest that a small 
di'g should be with them. 

An Englisliinan in Montreal, who, previous to the mur- 
der of Mr. Lincoln, had sympathized strongly with the Soutli, 
and associated with their agents in Canada, and has been 
fully posted in their movements, said that the assassination 
was too much for him, and stated that he knew that during 
the 20th of April the Southern agents heard from the party 
that murdered the President, and they expected him to 
arrive in Montreal within forty-eight hours — not sure that it 
was Booth, but one closely connected with assassination, if 
not the principal — that he is sure he will have him in thirty 
minutes after arrival — that he will probably arrive via Troy 
and Burlington, or W. R. Junction, but most likely by 
Ohio Central. 

This information was given by said Englishman to Alder- 
man Lyman of this city (Moulreal), by Lyman to Mr. 
Cheney, an American, brother of the Expressman, Cheney & 
Co. ; and Cheney came to St. Albau's and gave it to Goveruoi 
Smith. 

Iliiuorable EnwiN M. Stanton: — 

IluNOKKU AND Dkar SiR — In the disposal of the remains of the asHasnic 
of I'resideiit Lincoln, I would suggest the following: Let hie body be inclosed 
in a sack of shoddy, and carried out to Kea, heyotnl soiiiidingB, tlirown over 
ln.&rd, there to rema'n to death and hell give up their dea<i. 
Very respectfully yours, 

John MoLacqhua. 

PhaNKLIN BoAH. rntLADBLPBlA, 

April '29, 1666. 

A few days after the assassination, the subjoined mys 
terious letter was picked up in Ford's Tlieatre, which as a 
relic of the times is put on record, with another anonymous 
epistle of different tone, which fell into my hands : 



«K. B. G."— THE HANDKERCHIEF. 383 

Phtladelphia, TTvursday Kight. 

Dbab Sib — Yon are hereby notified that your presence in Philadelphia is 
obnoxious to the "Knights of the Blue Gauntlet," and that at a general con- 
vocation held this night, beneath the folds of the " Starry Banner," it was 
determined to notify you of th€« fact, and to give you ten days from date to 
place yourself without the pale of our jurisdiction. Beware, the Lapwing is 
on your track — the Moccasin lies hungry in your path — the true "Knights of 
Uif Ulae Gauntlet " are not triflers. ♦♦**** 

To L. Oakland, Actor, &c., 814 Market street. 

Oh ! What a joke. 

Secesh & Co. have treated your honorable body with one of their latemt 
Lincoln jokes. Wilkes Booth & Co. are under a thousand obligations for the 
pass yon have, in your hour of great gratification, granted an intimate friend 
of his. Your military as well as detective force is not worth powder and 
lead to kill them. We thank you, honorable Sirs, with sincerity, for youi 
official stupidity, and shall, through a different channel, enable you to patron- 
ize the vendors of crape in a wholesome way. Know then, all the rewards 
you may hereafter ofter is of no avail, and further, that we will have the 
gratification to publish our friends safely at your expense. Oh ! what an 
immense joke. How are you, base, foul Yankee trash. Signed for over 
tea thousand sworn and tried friends in the District of Columbia. Think of 
that, base tyrants, and tremble. 

A Washinqtonian. 

The papers transmittecl here were forwarded to me, with 
the handkerchief referred to in them, and have at least a 
single point of special interest. They show how near the son 
of the female assassin, himself deserving the halter, came 
to sharing this fate with his mother. The statements also 
underrate the instinctive vigilance of the quickened thought 
of the people, making otherwise ordinary events significant, 
and often detective, when a great crime lias been committed. 

UoNTscAL, April 27, I8661 

Colonel L. 0. Bakkr: — 

!»HAR Sir — I have seen Governor Smith of Vermont, and from liim ob- 
tained all the facts in relation to the information he obtained from this city. 
IiirloHed you will [>lea8e findacopy. While in Burlington I obtained a white 
linen handkerchief, which was dropped in the Vermont Central Depot, on 
rimrsday evening, April 20, by one of three strange men who slept in depot 
all Thursday night. These men came from steamer Ca/nida, Captain Flagg. 
She was very late that evening ; did not connect with tlie train north (Montreal), 
which leaves at seven o'clock, p. m. They came into the depot between «even 
%nd a half and eight o'clock, after the night watchmen came on duty. They 



384 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVIOK 

b&d no baggage; not even a bundle. They were all rather poorly dressed^ 
looked rather hard, worn-out, tired. The tiiglit watchman, 0. H. B., la a 
sharp, intelligent fellow. Ue asked them which way tliey were going; they 
eaid, to Montreal. He told them tiuit they could not go that night. They 
knew that. He wanted to know if they did nut want to go to a hotel. They 
Baid n), that they were going to stay in the depot. They did ivot appear to 
have much of any thing to do with one another, or any thing to say to one 
another. They took separate seats around the room, curled themselves ii[>, 
and went to sleep. They remained quiet all night. About four o'clock a m., 
B. woke them up to take the train, which they did. After the tram left, 1$. 
saw what he supposed some dirty cloth on the floor about the place where 
one of them slept, tie picked this material up, thinking that it would do to 
wipe his lantern with. While handling the stulF, he found that he had got 
two very dirty pocket-handkerchiefs. They had tobacco jGice all over them. 
While looking his prize over, he found the name of J. 11. Surratt, No. 2, on 
the corner o'" one of the handkerchiefs. The other was unmarked. Ue took 
them home. His mother, with wliom he lives, was away, attending to a sick 
brother, and did not return until Saturday morning. The brother died on 
Tuesday evening, the night these men remained in the depot. B. got hia 
mother to wash the handkerchiefs, whicli she did on Saturday morning. 
During Saturday, p. m., B. went to the city and told this circumstance of hia 
finding the handkerchiefs. Detective Q. 0. heard of it, and got the handker- 
chief from B., and I got the handkerchief from 0. Inclosed, you will find 
that — B. said one of the men was tall, and the others short. lie fully identi- 
fies the likeness of Surratt as being one of the men. I then found the con- 
ductor that ran the train from Hurlin;j:ton to Essex Junction. The baggage 
man ran the train up that Friday morning, the 2l8t. lie was very sick when 
I called on him. lie had some recolleotion of three men whom he found in 
the depot, and he, too, fully identiliL's Surratt's picture as being that of one 
of the men who went up with iiiin. I next found the conductor who ran the 
through train to St. Alban's, Vermont. His name is 0. T. Uobart, a very 
gentlemanly and intelligent man, belongs to the Vermont Central Railroad. 
His trip ends at St. Alban's, Vermont, on Tuesdays and Fridays. He gives 
this description of two men who got im liis train at Essex Junction, Vermont: 
One very tall man, over six feet, and a short man, not much over five feet. 
This was on Friday morning, A[)ri! 21, 5.05 o'clock, a. m., he being twenty- 
five minutes late that morning. Those two men had no money to pay their 
fare with, fco they said. Their story was, they were Canadians, had been to 
Now York city to work. These two and another man roomed together, they 
worked together, got paid otf together. During the night, after being paid 
off, the thira man got up, rifled their pockets, and made oflf with all their 
money. They were penniless; could get money when they got home; would 
do so, and would then pay him. They had a description of the man who had 
robbed them, which was a co[)y of one they gave to some New York detec- 
tive, whom they named. The conductor had a good deal of talk with the tall 
one ; the other would not say any thing. He went to them three or four 
times, for Le thought they had money, but was on the beat. The tall one 



SUSPICIOUS TRAVELERS. 386 

offered his coat as security. Conductor told them that they were able-bodied 
men, and ought not to be traveling without money to pay their way. Thej 
did not want to go any further than St. Alban's, as they would be going 
away from home to continue on toward St. John's, C. E. Here is his story — 
one very tall man, six feet one inch, or more (being taller thai the conductor, 
•who is Qve feet eleven and a half inches), broad shoulders, otherwise slina, 
traight as an arrow; did not look like a laborer, although dressed latLer 
poor; had on a loose sack-coat, colored; cassimere shirt, all one color; collir 
some turned over ; an old spotted scarf, long, which hung down and was held 
by tlie vest, which was light color, buttoned half way up, old style ; light-colored 
pants, being loose, had the appearance of having no suspenders on ; had on a 
light-colored, tight-fitting skull-cap. Ills entire outfit was rather dusty, dirty, 
and seedy. Ills hair was black as jet and straight ; no beard, nor the appear- 
ance of any ; was young, not more than twenty-one or twenty-two. lie left 
the train at St. Alban's. The other man was a good deal shorter, not much 
over five feet, thick set, short neck, full face, sandy comj)lexion, thin sandy 
chin whiskers or goatee, light in quantity; no other beard. lie wore a soft 
black felt hat, very dusty ; durk-colored sack-coat, either black-brown or blue; 
light-colored pants; reddish-colored flannel shirt. Did not see any vest, as 
he had his coat buttoned up. He done but little talking — had not much to 
say for himself, let the tall man do that. The great object of both was to get 
home to Canada. He got off the train at St. Alban's. C. S. H. boards at the 
Mansion Hotel at St. Alban's, and as he was going into the house he saw 
these two men coming down the street toward the house. He watched them 
for a few minutes. They turned tlie corner going toward the depot again, 
but they did not take the cars again. He fully identifies Surratt's picture as 
the tall one; the other is not known. He says he should know Surratt at any 
place or anywhere. They seemed determined to ride on the platform. U. 
pulled them botii in by the collar, saying if they rode with him they must do 
80 inside, which they did, keeping close to the door all the time. II. said 
after he got to bed he could not go to sleep for nearly two hours, thinking 
about those fellows. lie felt as if they had heat him, and that they were very 
(ikely a pair of the assassins. He spoke to some friend about the matter, and 
gave vent to his suspicions. He thought no more of them until I spoke to 
him on the subject. I never saw such looseness in the police business as they 
have up here. All these lines are regular highways for men or women of 
e true Southern style. They have no more fears of passing through along 
e northern border of Vermont or New York than though the territory waa 
Dixie. C, the only one of the six men sent to Richmond to get the 
raiders' commissions who succeeded in getting through to Canada, came 
boldly into St. Alban's, registered his name in full from Richmond, Va., care- 
lessly remarking that St. Alban's was a tough place for a man to come to 
from Richmond, Va. None molested him; he got into Canada safe with hi« 
papers. The Prorost-Marshal at A. says that he never had any instructions 
as to what were his duties or his powers, only to arrest deserters and forward 
them to New Haven, Conn. He says he don't know that he has the power 
to arrest or search anybody, and if he bad ever arrested anybody, h« should 



386 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

have arrested them under the very stringent vagrant law passed bj Vermont 
I asked him if the commission of captain and provost-raarslial made only i 
town constable of him. He said he did not know any thing of the duties oi 
powers of the Provost-Marshal's office. He has always been a rank " copper- 
head " Democrat, but is a brotlier-in-law of Governor Smith ; so last fall he 
went the " Reb." ticket and got appointed Provost-Marshal. He has just 
gone out to Kansas City on 5m. or pleasure. There is a young major Pv.st 
Commandant, who has four companies of vets, here, with some ten or twelve 
officers, but two privates are allowed to examine trains alone. The major 
says that he supposed such duties belonged to the Provost-Marshal. Then 
again, the Governor assumes some little powers in small details. Power and 
authority seem to clash — don't work together. As a consequence, nothing is 
done by any of them until too late. Noted rebels pass there every week or 
two to New York and back. A Miss M. came up on Saturday last. She goes 
back and forth at will, no doubt carrying letters and dispatches. There are 
several men who do the same. The conductors know them; but there is no 
Provost-Marshal or other officer who seems to have the power or inclination 
to arrest and search any of these parties. There is hardly a doubt but that 
Surratt and one or two others are in this province ; who the others are I can- 
not tell — may be persons who are not known to fame as yet. Inclosed I send 
you a likeness of one of the Paynes, of whom there are seven brothers, all Ken- 
tuckians. Three are said to be in South America, one in jail at St. Alban'a, 
and tlie others here, as you have a Payne, may be one of these brothers. The 
picture is marked on the back. If of no use, please send it back to the owner, 
Mr. Samuel "Williams, Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs, St. Alban's, Vt 
I have placed those pictures in the hands of the Provost-Marshal, American 
consul, &c. Shall go down to Richmond, 0. E., Three Rivers, Quebec, Point 
Levi, then through Upper Canada. Any orders or instructions by letter or 
by telegraph can find me, directed to the care of S. S. Potter, Esq., American 
Consul-General, Montreal, 0. E. Shall drop any information I can get. I am 
going out into what are called the townships, that portion of Canada East 
bordering on Maine, New York, and Vermont north. Many rebels are in 
there. Yonng Saunders is out there now, together with others. Potterfield, 
a dangerous rebel, is making preparations to go to Nashville, Tenn. ; ought 
not to be allowed. Towbridge, another, who ran a vessel-load of slaves into 
Mobile (the Wanderer), was convicted and sentenced to Clinton State Prison, 
but escaped from the officers, has gone to Detroit under some protection got 
Dy E., who says he is a cousin (cozzen, I guess). 
I am respectfully, &c., 

G. A. O. 

HCADQlTASTKItS nHITBS StATVB BaKSACKS, I 

St. AlbanX VKtuoNT, April 80, 1&66, ( 

Majoh — One week ago last Thursday night three men slept in th« 
R. & B. Depot, Burlington, Vermont. They came in late at night by boat, 
and inquired for the first train for Montreal, and took it, coming as far as St. 
Alban's, Vermont, when they took stage to Franklin, Vermont, and theno* 
off out into Canada, A detective from Colonel Baker's force was through 



THE PHOTOGRAPHS. 387 

this p!h>"e last Taesday, and he exhibited a handkerchief with Surratt's name 
upon it, wliich was found in the depot during the day, Friday, following the 
Thursday night these men slept in the building. These men, or two in par- 
ticular, were noticed by the conductor on their way to St. Alban's and when 
the photographs of Surratt were shown him he said at once that they fully 
answered to one of the men who were on his train the Friday morning spc ken 
of- He also said the photograph of Harrold answered well for another of the 
men. The detective was very sure, from his tracings, that Harrold and Sur 
ratt had passed through here on the day in question. Later developments 
have proved hira mistaken as to Harrold. I had men who passed over everj 
train, and the men saw these men, took notice of thcra, &c., but they did not 
answer to the description which they had of men they were ordered to arrest, 
consequently did not arrest them. I have traced these men, two of tliem, into 
Canada; they live in Broom, have been South, are deserters from our army, 
and, upon the whole, desperate fellows. This circumstance, then, is all thac is 
worth noticing. These men are from the South, and I suppose there is little 
doubt that one of them dropped the handkerchief in question. Now, in view 
of the place they have come from, and the handkerchief, what is the circum- 
stance worth ? The two men I have followed into Canada are both known in 
the town where they were found, and neither of them Surratt or Harrold. 
But still what did they have Surratt's handkerchief for, &c. ? I was told this 
man could be found any time in Swatobury or Broom. What action shall be 
taken ? Can money expended in searching for these men be recovered ? 
I have the honor to be, 

Very respectfully. 

Your obedient servant, 

J. Grout, Jr., 
Major First Regiment F. C. Commanding Po»t 

To Major Austin, Military Commander, Brattleboro, Yt. 

Dkpabtmknt or thi East, New Tokk, May 8, 18«6i 

Major-General J. A. Dix, Commanding: — 

Refers communication from Major J. Grout, Jr., dated at St. Alban'a, 
Canada West, relative to two suspicious characters who appear to be imp] • 
cated in the Harrold and Surratt consi)iracy. 

Colonel BcRNKTT. 

HEAnqrARTKRS, Drpartment or TnB East, i 
New York Citt, i/</y 8, 1865. , 

Respectfully referred to the Adjutant-General, United States Army. 

John A. Dix, 
Major-Geieral Commanding. 

Respectfully forwarded to headquarters Department of the East, New 

York. 

Fb. Austin, 

M^jor U. S. A,, Military Commander. 
Bkattubobo, TjokMOHT, Jfdy 1, IMBL 



388 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

W4B DiPABTiTKNT, May I, IMBL 

Respectfully refeTed to Colonel L. C. Baker, Agent War Department. 

II. S. BCBNBTT, 

Brevet Colonel, Judge- Advocate. 

The following letters, written a year earlier, of a more 
domestic nature, will make a fitting and rather amusing 
accompaniment to the story of the handkerchief : — 

BirKKATnTii.LS, MABTUurs, D»e«mher !•, 1848. 

Misa Bell Seaman : — 

Dear Cousin — "To live, is to learn," which has been fully verified by the 
contents of your rather surprising letter. I must confess, my dear Cousin, 
tha. your letter was short, sweet, and to the point. Unkindness is something, 
Cousin Bell, I have never yet been willfully guilty of, yet no doubt you con- 
strued my letter to that effect. "Judge ye not, and ye shall not be judged," 
is a wise maxim, and one to which I always well look. "Look before yon 
leap." 

" Satisfied in my conclusions," is the sentence in which you find so much 
fault. Well, VM eMre Cousin, to explain those four words, it is necessary to 
retrace our steps to a certain letter you wrote me, which contained something 
about " having more principle than to l^old an oflSce under a Government yon 
pretend to despise." In fact, you concluded that I was a hot-headed rebel, 
one belonging to the horned tribe, for they tell me they have horns, and tliat 
I ought not to hold an office under this E poor btuted up Union, consequently 
my being superseded, "satisfied you in your conclusion." Is it not so, my 
dear Cousin ? Do tell me, won't you ? I sincerely hope now, Cousin, that yon 
are really satisfied in your conclusions about my meaning. 

Anna started for Steubenville, Ohio, last Monday week, and has arrived 
safely, but I believe lost her trunk. I arrived from Washington a few hourj 
ago, and found your letter awaiting me. I have proved my loyalty, so that it 
cannot be doubted, and will regain my office as P. M. Joy is mine I Cousin 
Bell, I expect you think I am a hard case. Without doubt I am the crossest. 
most ill-contrived being that ever was. Just ask Anna, when you see her, 
for a description of your Cousin. 

Pardon my conclusion, but I am getting really sleepy. It is now te» 
o'clock, an honr after my bedtime, for I go by the old saying, " Early to bed, 
ind early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." Ma sends her 
love to you and family. Write soon, as nothing gives me greater pleasurt 
than to receive a letter from you. 

Your Cousin, 

J. HaBBIBON SnBBATT. 

ScBBATT^B Villa, Mabtlakd, Auffu*t 1, 18M, 
Mt Dear Coxtbin Bell — You ask me if we have warm weather in Mary- 
land, My Maryland. If you have it to such a degree as you represent it, up 
North, what must it be in our hot-headed South f Yea. C02, if we had yon 



"C50UBEN BELL.** 389 

AowTi here w^e woald soon convert you into "sugar," and then use yon tc 
iweettjn our dispositions. Yon know 'tis, the extremely hot weather th&t 
makes ns "Rebs" so savage, crnel, and disagreeable. Yes, Cousin Bell, it ie 
go waira that we can neither eat, sleep, sit down, stand up, walk abont, and 
In fact, to sura the whole in a nutshell, it is too warm to do any thing. 

80 you think I have a great deal of assurance. I am sorry to say you are 
the first one that ever told me so. On the contrary, I am a very bashful, 
and [>erfectly unsopuisticated youth. As every thing pleases yon, I am over- 
joyed to know that yon are pleased with me, as very few young ladies take a 
fancy to me. I am really delighted. You have told me more than ever 
woman dared to tell. Ooz. Bell, you ask me why I do not get married! 
Simply because I can find no one who will havg me. Often have thej 7owed, 

yes. Bat- — 

" This record will forever stand — 
Woman, thy vows are traced In sand." — Btbok. 

If you know of any lovely angel, in human form, desirous of a "matrimo- 
nial correspondence," just tell her to indite a few lines to your humble Cousin, 
and I can assure her she will not be sorry for it. 

August lOth. — Well, Coz., I have just been on a visit of a week's duration. 
It always takes me about two weeks to write a letter. Ma and Anna are sit- 
ting in the hall enjoying the evening breeze, whilst I am sitting over my desk, 
almost cracking my brain in order to find something to fill up these pages, for, 
Cousin Bell, yon must have perceive.l. long before this, that I am a poor letter 
writer. I had almost forgotten to tell yon that I called on your friend, Mr 
Wm. Underwood, at the Carver Hospital. lie has nearly recovered from h\a 
wound, though it has cot yet quite healed. lie intended going home in a 
week or two, and perhaps he may be there now, as it has been over a week 
since I saw him. 

Have you heard from your Uncle James lately ? Tliere has been some 
very hard fighting out West recently, and you know, Cousin Bell, that the foe 
has very little regard where he directs his builets. May God preserve him, 
and grant that he may see the end of this' inholy war without harm. At 
what time does yonr vacation arrive? Doubtless you look forward to that 
time with a great deal of impatience. 

I am very sorry to think that it is your intention to become an old maid. 
The horrible creatures! curses upon society I a perfect plague! always med- 
dling with affairs that do not concern them ! This is my opinion of old maids. 
I express it to you, because you have not yet arrived at that state of misery 
and despair. They are looked upon down our way as unnatural beings — 
something forsaken by God, man, and devil. So beware! Coz., I met a 
gentleman from Washington County, Pennsylvania, by the name of Stevenson, 
who is very well acquainted with the name of Surratt — so he says. Do yoo 
know any thing of him ? He is a very nice man, and a perfect gentleman. 
Have yon heard any thing of the Rebel Captain, I have not heard from hia 
for some time f 

Really, I must bring my tiresome letter to a clo«e. Every thing looks 11 k« 
ctaivstiou. Yerj enoooraging, is it not ? I hope yon will answer aocu, ai 



.390 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

•nothing gives me greater pleasure than to receive a letter from you. Cousin 
Bell, I am not prone to flatter, so you must believe what I say. Ma and 
Anna send their love to you. I wish you knew Ma, I know you would like 
her. Neither of us is like her. My brother resembles her very much. He 
[s the best looking of the family. That is saying a good deal for myselt 
'Excuse thif> miserable scrawl, as I have to dip my pen in the stand at every 
word. Anna has just commenced playing the "Hindoo Mother." I would 
■advise you to get it. It is really beautiful. Good-by. I hope to see you 
before many months. 

Your Cousin, ^ 

J. Haerison Subbatt. 

**lo whom shall we Grant the Meade of praise ?" Hal ha I 

Omoi or TB« ComtiBiAKT-GiNitBAL OF PatsoirzKB, I 
Wi^SHiiffiTON, D. Cn February «, 186a. | 

'Miss l^KLL Seaman: — 

Dkar Cousin — I received your letter, and not being quite so selfish as you 
are, I will answer it^ in what I call a reasonable time. I am happy to say 
we are all will, and in fine spirits. 

We have been looking for you to come on with a great deal of impatience. 
Do come, won't you ? Just to think, I have never yet seen one of my cousins. 
But never fear, I will probably see you all sooner than you expect. Next 
wetk I leave for Europe. Yes, I am going to leave this detested country, 
aud I think, perhaps, I may give you all a call as I go to New York. Do not 
be surprised, Cousin Bell, when you see your hopeful Cousin. Truly yoa 
may be surprised. 

I have an invitation to a party, to come off next Tuesday night. Anna 
and myself intend going, and expect to enjoy ourselves very much. I have 
been to a great many this winter, so that they are beginning to get common ; 
but as this is something extra, I looked forward with a great deal of impa- 
tience. I wiab you were, in order that I might have the pleasure of intro- 
ducing yon to regular country hoe-down. I know you would enjoy it. 

There io no news of importance, save the burning of the Smithsonian 
Institute, which, of course, you have heard of. His Excellency Jefferson 
Davis and Old Abe Lmcoln couldn't agree, as sensible persons knew before- 
hand ; and now I hope people are satisfied, and hope they will make up their 
minds to fight it out to the bitter end. 

" Show no quarter." That's " my motto," 

Cousin Bell, try and answer me in a few days at least, as I would like 
veiy much to hear from yon before I leave home for good. I do not know 
whAi to think of our mutual Miss Kate Brady. Byron justly remarka — 

"ThlB woord win foreTer itand— 
Wonukn, Uy tows are traced In umd." 

I hh.vo jtiflt taken a peep in the parlor. "Would you like to know what I 
»aw there \ Well, Ma was sitting on the sofa, nodding first to one chair, then 
to another, next the piano. Anna sitting in corner, dreaming, I expect, of 
J. W. Booth. "Well, who is J. "W. Beoth! She can answer the question. Miss 



Mhti. 8URRATT— OFFICIAL DISPATCH— REWARDS. 391 

Pltjspatriok playing with her favorite cat — a good sign of an oW maid — th« 
detested old creatures. Miss Deao fixing her hair, which is filled with rata 
and mice. 

But hark . the door-bell rings, and Mr. J. W. Booth is announced. And 

listen to the scamperings of the . Such brushing and fixing. 

OouBin Bell, I am afraid to read this nonsense over, so, consequently, you 
must excuse all misdemeanors. We all send love to yon and family Tell 
Cousin Sam. I think he might write me at least a few lines. 

Your Cousin, 

J. IIarbison Stjrkatt, 
641 H Street, between 6 and 7 Streets. 



Dnririg my visits to the prisoners, before their execution, 
Mrs. Surratt confessed to me her complicity with the con- 
8y)irator8 so far as the intended abduction was concerned, but 
altimied that she reluctantly yielded to the urging of Booth 
in aiding the plot of assassination. He insisted that her oath 
of fidelity bound her to see the fatal end of the conspiracy. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF WIRZ. 

Iff J Connection with the Imprisonment of Wirz and Jeff. Davis — V.igilance in Gu&rd 
ing the Priaoner — Mrs. Wirz viflita her Husband — He desires a Call — The Ii.ter- 
Tiew — Attempted Suicide. 

Poor Wirz, the German prisoner, keeper at Anderson- 
ville, has a phice and a name in the history of the American 
conflict, imperishable as that of Jefferson Davis, and no more 
and no less enviable. He is only the willing servant, in 
war's cruelest work, of the master spirit of the revolt, who 
richly deserves the disgraceful doom of the wretched victim of 
the gallows, to whom no mercy was extended. Not alone 
by the surviving victims of his barbarity will Wirz be held 
in remembrance, but by all the loyal people of the land, 
who watched with intense interest the progress of his trial. 
Soon as it became evident that the testimony against this 
disciple of Nero was sufliciently strong to convict him, there 
were rebel emissaries who, fearing a confession from hia 
lips, which would implicate Jefferson Davis and others in 
the guilt of his crimes, desired and determined, if possible, 
to bring the trial to a speedy close. Wirz himself had 
several times intimated that, if convicted, he wonld make a 
statement of all the facts connected with his administration 
ct the Andersouville prison, which would show conclusively 
that he acted under the direct orders of Davis and General 
Winder. 

I had taken no part in Wirz's trial, most of the evidence 
having been procured by military officers then on duty a 
the South. During the last days of the trial, Mrs. Win 
appeared in Washington, and desired an interview with her 
husband. The Secretary of War had directed the officer io 
'ommand of the prison to exercise the utmost caution in 

392 



MY VISIT TO WIRZ— MRS. WIRZ. 395 

respect to the prisoner. It was feared that Le would commit 
snicide. Orders were issued not to allow any interview to 
be had with him under any pretense whatever. He was to 
be kept entirely secluded from the other prisoners, and only 
visited by the clergy and his counsel. Mrs. AVirz applied to 
me for permission to see him. She claimed that she desired 
only to administer to his comfort, as far as possible, and had 
no objection to the interview taking place in the presence of 
an officer of the Government. Wirz sent me a request to 
visit him, and accordingly I repaired to his apartment in the 
''Old Capitol." During the conversation, he expressed ear- 
nest desire to see his wife, when I reminded him that the 
orders of the Secretary prohibited such interviews. Ilia 
anxiety was so great, that I stated the prisoner's request to 
Mr. Stanton, who consented to a meeting in my presence, 
with no communications in their own language between them. 
He then gave me the following order : 

WaB DkPARTMENT, ADJtrrANT-GKNKRAL'i OyFICSi I 

Wasuington, Nov»tn,b«r 9, 1866. j 

Major-General Augur, commanding Department of Washington : — 

Gbneeal — Henry Wirz haa sent a request to General L. 0. Baker to visit 
him. The Secretary of War desires that the authority be given General 
Baker. 

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

E. D. TOWNSKND, 

Assistant Acting Adjutant-General. 

With this document I procured a permit, and requested 
Mrs. Wirz to be at the prison at four o'clock that day. The 
interview took place, and I shall never forget the first meet- 
ing between Wirz and his wife. She exhibited the most 
stoical inditference, and simply said, " How are you, ^Virz ?" 
Instead of embracing him, as would naturally have been 
expected under the circumstances, she sat down in a chair in 
front of him, and looked at the doomed man a moment, and 
then gave utterance to the most vindictive words against the 
Government, in which he joined. Instead of talking of tlieir 
family affairs, the unfortunate position in which Wirz was 
placed, and the probability of his execution, she took occa- 
sion to denounce Colonel Chipman, Judge- Advocate of the 
commission before whom Wii"z was being tried, and the wiv- 



396 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. 

nesses as perjnrarg^ and in the most threatening manner defied 
the Governmenc to carry the findings of the commission into 
execution. Tliis interview finally closed in their making an 
appointment for another. 

The conduct of Wii'Z and his wife was to my mind very 
suspicious. I did not conceive that such indifference was 
natural under the circumstances, and determined to watch 
their next interview very closely. It came in due time, and 
was very similar to the first one. Mrs. Wirz sat in front of 
her husband, and I took a position where I could casually 
observe the movements of each. Mrs. Wirz took from hei 
hand a glove, inside of which I noticed she had a small 
package ; what it was I could not tell. The interview was 
short, as both were conscious that I was observing every move- 
ment. At the third interview the same thing was repeated. 
As we all rose to go to the door leading to the hall, \yirz 
walking first, Mrs. Wirz next, and myself at the rear, she 
for the first time approached him, when they embraced and 
put their lij^s up to kiss each other. I watched the motion, 
and perceived that she was conveying something from her 
mouth to his. I sprang forward in an instant, caught hira 
by the throat, and threw him on the fioor. lie raised a pill 
from his throat, brought it within his teeth, crushed it and 
spit out. I picked it up and found it to be a small round 
piece of strychnine inclosed in a piece of oiled silk. Upou 
this discovery I informed Mrs. Wirz that she could have no 
more interviews with her husband. She was compelled, 
therefore, to leave him to his fate. My next step was to 
inform the Assistant Secretary of War and Judge Holt of the 
singular occurrence. 1 also showed to the former the strych 
nine pill. On the day of the prisoner's execution, I related 
the poison scene to a reporter of a New York paper. It waa 
given to the public by him. The copperhead press imme 
diately opened their artillery of abuse, making me the target 
of bitterest attack. The whole statement was pronounced a 
fabrication, while it was verified entirely by Louis Skade, the 
counsel of Wirz, and by Mrs. Wirz. It is a fact, which should 
make the loyal men of the land retiect deeply, that these 
reckless detractors of the administration of Mr. Lincoln, and 
all who aided him in checking the insane revolt, who defended 



CHANGE OF TOlfE— REBEL HATE. 397 

the vilest actors in the drama of rebellion, are to-day the 
friends of Mr. Johnson and his "policy." No reflective 
patriotic mind can exclude the doubt whetlier the infamous 
keeper of the Andersonville prison pen would have been 
executed at all had the merited fate been delayed a fnw 
months longer, until the change in the tone of the Pr»^ei- 
dential feeling toward rebels, whom he had so warmly 
condemned and warned that their treason must be made 
"odious" for all coming time. It is more sad and stinging 
to know this, for those of us who necessarily were familiar 
with the character and deeds of the brutal servants of Davis 
and his counselors and commanders. I could narrate hor- 
rors which would stir the indignation of the coolest loyal 
heart, that were openly or silently approved by the Con- 
federate Government ; and yet we are asked to be charitable 
and conciliatory toward men who hated with the venom of 
a Nero our slain President and our "boys in blue," and 
have only changed from power to wreak their vengeance to 
weakness that can do no more than nurse a disarmed dis- 
loyalty. If it is true, in the words of the song, that John 
Brown's soul is marching on 1 it is equally a reality that the 
souls of Booth and Wirz are still marching stealthily on 
through the streets of the cities and over the plantation plains 
of the " sunny South." 



ACTUAL BURIAL-PLACE OF BOOTH. 

In compliance with a promise made in the Prospectus of thia work, as welj 
&3 to gratify public curiosity, and, if possible, forever put at rest the many 
absurd and foolish rumors in circulation concerning the final disposition of 
the remains of the assassin, J. Wilkes Booth, I submit the following facta — 

In order to establish the identity of the body of the assassin beyond al 
question, the Secretary of War directed me to summon a number of witnessei 
residing in the city of Washington, who had previously known the murderer. 
Some two years previous to the assassination of the President, Booth had had 
a tumor or carbuncle cut from his neck by a surgeon. On inquiry, I ascer- 
tained that Dr. May, a well-known and very skillful surgeon, of twenty-fiv« 
years' practice in Washington, had performed the operation. 

Accordingly I called on Dr. May, who, before seeing the body, minutely 
described the exact locality of the tumor, the nature and date of the opera< 
bon, &o. After being sworn, he pointed to the tear on the neck, which wm 



S98 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE. Q^- o^ t^ 






known the assassin intimately for years. The various newspaper accounts, 
referring to the mutilation of Booth's body, are equally absurd. General 
Barnes, Surgeon-General U. S. A., was on board the gun-boat where the 
post-mortem examination was held, with his assistants. General Barnes cut 
from Booth's neck about two inches of the spinal column through which the 
ball had passed ; this piece of bone, which is now on exhibition in the Gov- 
ernment Medical Museum, in Washington, is the only relic of the assassin's 
body above ground, and this is the only mutilation of the remains that ever 
f;cciirred. Immediately after the conclusion of the examination, the Secretary 
L-f Wfw gave orders as to the disposition ot the body, wliioh liad become very 
otiensive, owing to the condition in which it had remainf^d after di-nlli ; 'Jic 
leg, broken in jumpmg from the box to the stage, was much discolored and 
sTvollen, the blood from the wound having saturated his under-cloliiing. 
With the assistance of Lieut. L. B. Baker, I took the body from the gun-buat 
direct to the old Penitentiary, adjoining the Arsenal gounds. The buildine 
had not been used as a prison for some years previously. The Ordnanc* 
Department had filled the ground-floor celh" with fixed aiumunitiou — one of 
the largest of these cells was selected as the burial-pLice of Booth — the ammn- 
o'ltion was removed, a large tlat stone lifted from its place, and a rude grave 
dag; the body was dropped in, the grave filled up, the stone replaced, aiid 
tliere resta to this hoar all that remained of john Wilkes Booth. 



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